‘Stunning survival': California man missing for two days rescued alive from behind a waterfall
The man, identified by the Tulare County Sheriff's Office as 46-year-old Ryan Wardwell of Long Beach, had set out on Sunday in Sequoia National Forest with plans to rappel down the Seven Teacups, a series of tumbling granite waterfalls in a tributary of the Kern River north of Kernville. During periods of lower flows, the stair-step falls are a popular objective for rappellers who descend each feature via ropes and harnesses.
Partway down the fall, Wardwell got stuck in a cavern behind one of the surging falls. He 'had come off his rappel lines and got trapped behind the waterfall because of the extreme hydraulics of the river,' according to a statement from the Sheriff's Office.
Tulare County authorities were alerted about Wardwell being missing on Monday. After searching the river from above with an aircraft equipped with an infrared camera, they identified his 'possible location.' But 'due to the late hours of the day and technical difficulty of the area,' officials opted to wait until first light Tuesday morning to attempt a rescue.
Early Tuesday, search teams were deployed to the area and were able to fly a drone behind the waterfall where Wardwell was trapped. He was 'found alive and responsive,' according to the Sheriff's Office.
Next, a California Highway Patrol helicopter flew into the river canyon and lowered a rescuer on a hoist cable down into the cavern where Wardwell was stuck. The rescuer secured the stranded man onto the hoist cable and the helicopter was able to extract him safely. He emerged with 'only minor injuries and dehydration,' according to the Sheriff's Office.
In the wake of the incident, Tulare County authorities want to remind 'the public to always be aware of their environment and capabilities, especially when navigating white water rivers.'
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