A tense rescue on California’s Kern River was captured on video after a woman slipped into the powerful rapids near the southern Sierra Nevada and was swept into a dangerous stretch of water.
The footage shows the woman battling the river’s swift current as members of the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Air Support Unit rushed in to help, navigating a fast-moving and high-risk rescue scene.
Authorities found her at the bottom of a steep cliff, tucked beneath a rocky overhang and clinging to the underside of the rock while the frigid water continued rushing around her.
In the dramatic rescue video, crews first get a life jacket to the woman before tossing her a flotation device secured to a rope, which allowed rescuers to pull her safely out of the Kern River rapids.
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Once she was brought to safety, the unidentified woman was handed over to emergency medical crews for evaluation.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office used the incident as a reminder that the Kern River can be extremely hazardous, even for strong or experienced swimmers, citing its forceful currents, cold temperatures and hidden underwater dangers.
Officials are urging anyone visiting the area to wear a life jacket whenever they are in or near the river.
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