Man trapped behind a California waterfall for two days rescued "alive and well," officials say
In a video the office posted to social media on Wednesday, one deputy is seen being lowered from a helicopter into a nook behind the cascading waterfall on the Seven Teacups Trail to reach 46-year-old Ryan Wardwell of Long Beach.
Wardwell embarked on the trail Sunday morning to rappel the waterfalls but was reported missing on Monday. He was last seen at the top of the waterfalls on Sunday evening, near the North Fork of the Kern River.
The sheriff's office identified Wardwell's location using cameras and infrared technology attached to aircraft and devised a rescue plan to retrieve him by dawn the next morning.
On Tuesday morning, the sheriff's office sent their search and rescue team as well as their swift-water dive team to the location. Using a drone, they found Wardwell behind the waterfall, alive and well, the office said. A helicopter from the California Highway Patrol was sent to the scene, and Wardwell was pulled out of the waterfall.
Authorities said he was then flown to a landing zone nearby and treated for minor injuries and dehydration. He reunited with his family, who were also at the landing zone.
Wardwell told authorities that he had come off of his rappel lines and got trapped behind the waterfall because of the intense river flow.
"The TCSO Emergency Services Division reminds the public to always be aware of their environment and capabilities, especially when navigating white water rivers," the sheriff's office said in the post.
The Seven Teacups Trail, about 4 miles long, is known for its continuous, cascading pools that resemble teacups. The trail runs along Dry Meadow Creek, which flows into the Kern River. Hiking blogs describe the trail as challenging and potentially dangerous if unprepared. It can't be completed solely by foot, and hikers need rope and equipment to rappel down the canyon and on their way back up.
The American Canyoneering Assn. rates the Seven Teacups as Class 3C, which means it has flowing water with strong currents and requires intermediate technical skills.
Last August, three hikers drowned while swimming in a whirlpool that unexpectedly formed at the end of the same trail.
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NCAA set to announce the results of its sign-stealing investigation into Michigan's program
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The NCAA is expected to announce the results of its sign-stealing investigation into Michigan's college football program on Friday. In a notice sent to the school last year, the NCAA alleged that Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore violated rules as an assistant under former coach Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh, who left the Wolverines after they won the 2023 national championship and now coaches the Los Angeles Chargers, served a three-game suspension in exchange for the Big Ten dropping its investigation into the allegations after the two ended up in court. Moore also was accused of deleting text messages with sign-stealer Connor Stalions before they were recovered and provided to the NCAA. The NCAA investigation surfaced early in the 2023 season amid allegations that Michigan used a robust in-person scouting and sign-stealing operation conducted by Stalions, a former a low-level staffer. He was suspended by the school and later resigned. Stalions, who did not participate in the NCAA investigation, recently said he knew almost every signal opponents used in seven games over two seasons. Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti sent a letter to the NCAA Committee on Infractions last month, suggesting that Michigan's football program should not face more sanctions related to the sign-stealing saga. The Wolverines open the season on Aug. 30 at home against New Mexico State and then play at Oklahoma, where Moore was an offensive lineman, on Sept. 6. The NCAA does not have rules against stealing signs, but does prohibit schools from sending scouts to the games of future opponents and using electronic equipment to record another team's signals. ___ AP college football: and
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Michigan sign-stealing punishment: NCAA hammers Wolverines with massive fine, additional suspension for Sherrone Moore
At long last, nearly two years after its initial discovery, the Michigan sign-stealing decision is in. In a document sent to the school on Friday, the NCAA's Committee on Infractions sanctioned the Wolverines with the following penalties, according to sources: • Four years probation• $50,000 fine, plus 10% of the budget for the football program• A fine equivalent to the anticipated loss of all postseason competition revenue sharing associated with the 2025 and 2026 football season.• A fine equivalent to the cost of 10% of the scholarships awarded in Michigan's football program for the 2025-26 academic year• A 25% reduction in football official visits during the 2025-26 season.• 14-week prohibition on recruiting communications in the football program during the probation period. The committee also slapped current head coach Sherrone Moore with an additional game suspension (on top of the two already imposed by Michigan). The committee hammered former coach Jim Harbaugh with a 10-year show-cause penalty and hit Connor Stalions, the purported ringleader of the sign-stealing scheme, with a 8-year show-case. A show-cause effectively prevents a person from coaching in college for the duration of the penalties are expected to become public with the full release of the penalties to come at noon ET, with an NCAA press conference at 1 p.m. ET. The Big Ten, alerted by the NCAA of its active investigation in the midst of the 2023 season, suspended Harbaugh for the final three games of that regular season. Michigan announced this spring a two-game suspension for Moore. It is suspending him for the third and fourth games of the season against Central Michigan and at Nebraska. The third additional game suspension, handed down by the NCAA on Friday, will be served in 2026. Moore and the Wolverines begin the season ranked No. 14 in the Associated Press preseason poll. They kick off the season against New Mexico before traveling to Oklahoma for a Big Ten-SEC showdown on Sept. 9. Meanwhile, Harbaugh is beginning his second season as head coach for the Los Angeles Chargers. Stalions has spent time coaching on the high school level. Stalions appeared at Michigan's hearing before the NCAA Committee on Infractions in June. He provided witness testimony during the two-day ordeal, even growing emotional to the point of tears while speaking about the impact of the investigation on his potential coaching career. Those present at the hearing spoke to Yahoo Sports under condition of anonymity. According to the NCAA's investigation, Stalions, a lifelong Michigan fan and graduate of Navy, operated an elaborate, multiyear system in which he bought tickets to games involving future Michigan opponents and then had associates — as many as 65 — attend games to video a team's play-call signals. Last summer, after a 10-month investigation, the NCAA formally charged Michigan with 11 allegations, six of those deemed Level I. Most notably, Moore deleted 52 texts from Stalions the same day that Yahoo Sports first unearthed news of the scandal. In a response to the NCAA in January, obtained by Yahoo Sports, the school vigorously defended its coach, describing the texts as 'innocuous and not material to the investigation.' In fact, in that 137-page response, the university refuted many of the alleged rules violations and accused the NCAA of 'grossly overreaching' and 'wildly overcharging' the program without credible evidence that other staff members knew of Stalions' illegal in-person scouting system — the central question in a case that gripped all of the college sports world as it unfolded in 2023. All sign stealing is not against NCAA rules. For instance, staff members can steal an opponent's signals during games and from television or replay video. However, in a longtime NCAA cost-containment rule, schools are not permitted to scout opponents in advance. The NCAA accused Stalions of engaging in in-person scouting of 52 games over the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons, many of them involving scheduled opponents of Michigan. He used Michigan staff members, family and friends to record sideline signals, according to the NCAA's investigation, which features video and photograph evidence of people videoing from seats that Stalions or accomplices purchased. Over the three-year stretch, UM went 40-3 with three consecutive conference championships and the 2023 national title. However, in its response, the school purports that the sign-stealing system offered 'minimal relevance to competition,' was not credibly proven by NCAA investigators and should be treated as a minor violation. The university and several of its coaches were considered repeat offenders. Two years ago, a separate investigation found both Harbaugh and Moore guilty of COVID-era recruiting violations. In that case, Michigan was placed on three years probation, and Harbaugh received a four-year show-cause order. Most interesting, perhaps, in Michigan's response to the NCAA was a note about the tipster. The person who originally provided information to the NCAA about the Stalions' scheme derived from its own campus. The unnamed source, which the NCAA has not disclosed, appears to have worked at Michigan, at least at one point, according to the response. This story will be updated as it develops.
New York Post
15 minutes ago
- New York Post
Parents who forced 9-year-old son to do push-ups, squats in viral video defend punishment after backlash
Katie and Dustin Maletich, Oregon parents of four, have gone viral on social media for a parenting moment that's sparked some debate. After Dustin's 9-year-old stepson, Tommy, told his mother to 'chill,' he was instructed to do several push-ups and 60 squats as a form of discipline. Advertisement The workout was met with a father-son conversation about the tone in which he should be speaking to his mother. Tommy was attentive and apologized to his mom. Dustin Maletich, who is a corrections officer at a prison, ended the confrontation with an 'I love you' and a hug. While some praised the stepfather for his approach, others were concerned about using physical exercise as a form of punishment. Dr. Dyan Hes, pediatrician and medical director at Highline Modern Medicine in New York, reacted to this discipline method in an interview with Fox News Digital, calling it a 'ridiculous punishment.' Advertisement 'If you have ever done 60 squats, you know it is painful, especially in a young prepubescent child,' she said. 'Regardless, this is still a form of corporal punishment. Exercise should invoke positive connotations, not negative ones.' 5 Katie and Dustin Maletich, Oregon parents of four, have gone viral on social media for a parenting moment that's sparked some debate. Fox News Educational psychologist and parenting expert Dr. Michele Borba shared a different perspective, stating that the stepfather approached it the 'right way' by responding calmly and enforcing a punishment that seemed familiar and doable for the child. The California-based expert was more concerned about how posting the video online could emotionally impact the child and invoke 'public shame.' Advertisement In an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital, the Maletich family shared that fitness isn't used as a punishment for their children, but as a method of teaching self-control and emotional regulation. 5 The workout was met with a father-son conversation about the tone in which he should be speaking to his mother. @raisingmaletich/Instagram 'It's never like, 'We're punishing you because you were bad,'' Katie Maletich said. 'It's, 'Hey, let's help you figure out some better self-control and a better outlet for whatever is going on.'' Dustin Maletich added, 'We try to have the consequences correlate with the inappropriate behavior. If you demonstrate the inability to control your actions, then by doing physical activity, you're showing yourself that you are in control of your actions.' Advertisement 'There are plenty of times that I get frustrated,' he went on. 'I can't lash out at my boss. I can't yell at somebody. I can't throw a tantrum. That's not the way the world works.' 5 After Dustin's 9-year-old stepson, Tommy, told his mother to 'chill,' he was instructed to do several push-ups and 60 squats as a form of discipline. @raisingmaletich/Instagram The couple shared that their oldest daughter, who is 13, chooses to walk or jog if her emotions are feeling out of control, before engaging in a conversation with her parents. '[Our daughter] said, 'I don't want to have a sit-down conversation with you when I'm cranky,' but when she goes jogging on the treadmill, she said she finds that afterward, she's able to better communicate her feelings because she's more centered,' Katie Maletich said. 'Our kids like working out. They don't do it every day, but I think overall they enjoy it, because it's such a central part of our home.' Fitness is a 'positive bonding experience' for the Maletichs, she said. 'They feel better, and they voice it afterward … They're happier, they're less frustrated. And so, to us, we see that as a win.' This approach to discipline can differ for each child and circumstance, the Maletichs shared, which involves 'intention and intuition.' Advertisement 5 While some praised the stepfather for his approach, others were concerned about using physical exercise as a form of punishment. @raisingmaletich/Instagram 'The biggest thing is just learning to respond as a parent rather than reacting,' Katie said. The couple's approach to parenting is 'we're not raising kids, we're raising adults,' Dustin shared. 'I think putting more focus on how our kids are going to be able to handle life when they're adults is more important than figuring out how to make them happy and comfortable right now,' Katie said. Advertisement 5 'It's never like, 'We're punishing you because you were bad,'' Katie Maletich said. 'It's, 'Hey, let's help you figure out some better self-control and a better outlet for whatever is going on.'' Fox News For other parents, Katie noted that physical activity has worked 'really well' when followed by 'connection and conversation.' 'That's a really essential part of this,' she said. 'You have to explain it to them afterward and make sure that connection, both emotionally and to the issue and consequence, is there.' The couple also responded to the backlash they received after posting the video, mentioning that they asked their son for consent before sharing it. He responded with hopes that it would go viral.
