Hiker, 46, suffers dehydration after getting trapped behind enormous roaring waterfall for two days

Daily Mail​

a day ago

A hiker from California has been miraculously rescued after being stuck behind a massive waterfall for two days.
Ryan Wardwell, 46, of Long Beach, had set out to hike the Seven Teacups Trail in Sequoia National Forest on Sunday morning.
Wardwell planned to rappel the waterfalls, using ropes to descend from top to bottom.
He was last seen at the top of the waterfalls on Sunday, near the North Fork of the Kern River.
The 46-year-old was reported missing the next day when he did not return to his car late on Sunday night.
Tulare County Sheriff's Office began an extensive search of the area using aircraft equipped with camera and infrared technology.
Using this technology, emergency responders were able to find Wardwell's possible location Monday night, according to a statement from the sheriff's office.
Because it was late, a plan was devised to rescue him at first light the next morning.
Early on Tuesday, the TCSO Swiftwater-Dive Rescue Team and Search and Rescue teams went to the area and began looking for Wardwell.
A drone was used to check behind a massive waterfall and Wardwell was found alive, but unresponsive.
He later told deputies that he had come off his rappel lines and became trapped behind the water due to the extreme hydraulics of the river.
A California Highway Patrol (CHP) Helicopter H-40 arrived on the scene and an rescue team member was lowered down to hoist Wardwell to safety.
The hiker was then flown to a nearby landing zone and checked by medics.
He was treated for minor injuries and dehydration before being reunited with his family members on the scene.
'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 a statement.
Wardwell's close encounter comes after three experienced hikers died by drowning in a pool at the end of the Kern River last August.
The drowning was described as a 'freak accident,' the LA Times reported.
Search and rescue officials believe a powerful whirlpool formed in the water when a large rock or log got stuck.
The American Canyoneering Association rates Seven Teacups as Class 3C, which means it has flowing water with strong currents and requires at least intermediate technical skills.