Latest news with #KernRiver
The Independent
14 hours ago
- The Independent
Stranded man trapped in California waterfall for two days airlifted to safety
This is the moment a man trapped in a California waterfall for two days is airlifted to safety The Tulare County Sheriff Office's Emergency Services Division received reports of a missing man, who was last seen at the top of the Seven Teacups waterfalls near the North Fork of the Kern River last Sunday evening (10 August). Deputies learned the 46-year-old had planned to rappel the waterfalls, but had not returned to his car late Sunday night. An extensive search of the area, using aircraft equipped with camera and infrared technology identified the man's possible location. After inserting teams into the search area, a drone was used to check behind a large waterfall where the man was found alive and responsive.
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
‘Stunning survival story': Police rescue California man trapped behind waterfall for two days
A California man who recently became trapped behind a waterfall for two days while climbing was dramatically rescued by police utilizing a helicopter. Ryan Wardwell, 46, of Long Beach, went to waterfalls known as the Seven Teacups on 10 August with plans to rappel down, the sheriff's office of Tulare country said in a social media post. But the 'extreme hydraulics' of the waterfalls pushed Wardwell off his rappelling lines and trapped him behind a cascade of the Kern river, according to the sheriff's office. His failure to return to his car that night prompted local law enforcement to spend 11 August searching for him with infrared technology and aircraft. Difficult terrain and fading daylight thwarted their efforts that day. But rescuers found Wardwell the next day after flying a drone behind the cascade in question. Wardwell was alive and conscious when rescuers spotted him, and he told them how he had become stranded there, the Tulare county sheriff's office said. A California highway patrol helicopter crew then managed to hoist him to safety to cap off what the sheriff's office declared a 'stunning survival story'. Wardwell received treatment for dehydration and 'only minor injuries', and he was reunited with family who had gone to the scene, the sheriff's office said. The agency published video of Wardwell's rescue on Facebook, where it captured attention from news media outlets that reported on the situation. The clip showed the helicopter whipping around foliage and water around the cascade before the crew lifted Wardwell onboard. An attraction for hiking and outdoors adventure enthusiasts, the Seven Teacups are in a secluded area about two hours south of the Sequoia national park, which itself is east of Visalia, California. Wardwell had rappelled the falls several times before, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. On his 10 August trip there, friends had accompanied him, though they opted to stop going further after seeing the rushing water's power, California highway patrol flight officer paramedic Mike Crane said to the Chronicle. According to the outlet, Wardwell's friends left a note on his car telling passersby to report him missing if the vehicle was still there the next day, which it was. Wardwell ended up nestling himself in a dark cave beneath the waterfall – completely soaked – after being thrusted off his rappel lines, the Chronicle added. Tulare county sheriff's office captain Kevin Kemmerling told the Chronicle that Wardwell fought to escape for two days, 'but there was nothing he could do to break through'. 'There was no way for him to warm up or dry out in there, so it had to have been miserable,' Kemmerling said to the newspaper. Crane, speaking to the Chronicle, added: 'I got the impression that maybe he didn't know if he was ever going to get out of there.' The Tulare sheriff's office said in its statement that it reminded members of the public 'to always be aware of their environment and capabilities, especially when navigating white water rivers' like the one at the Seven Teacups. 'Stay safe, stay smart and stay alive,' the statement from the sheriff's office said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Stunning survival story': Police rescue California man trapped behind waterfall for two days
A California man who recently became trapped behind a waterfall for two days while climbing was dramatically rescued by police utilizing a helicopter. Ryan Wardwell, 46, of Long Beach, went to waterfalls known as the Seven Teacups on 10 August with plans to rappel down, the sheriff's office of Tulare country said in a social media post. But the 'extreme hydraulics' of the waterfalls pushed Wardwell off his rappelling lines and trapped him behind a cascade of the Kern river, according to the sheriff's office. Related: One dead and two missing after six people swept down waterfall in Oregon His failure to return to his car that night prompted local law enforcement to spend 11 August searching for him with infrared technology and aircraft. Difficult terrain and fading daylight thwarted their efforts that day. But rescuers found Wardwell the next day after flying a drone behind the cascade in question. Wardwell was alive and conscious when rescuers spotted him, and he told them how he had become stranded there, the Tulare county sheriff's office said. A California highway patrol helicopter crew then managed to hoist him to safety to cap off what the sheriff's office declared a 'stunning survival story'. Wardwell received treatment for dehydration and 'only minor injuries', and he was reunited with family who had gone to the scene, the sheriff's office said. The agency published video of Wardwell's rescue on Facebook, where it captured attention from news media outlets that reported on the situation. The clip showed the helicopter whipping around foliage and water around the cascade before the crew lifted Wardwell onboard. An attraction for hiking and outdoors adventure enthusiasts, the Seven Teacups are in a secluded area about two hours south of the Sequoia national park, which itself is east of Visalia, California. Wardwell had rappelled the falls several times before, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. On his 10 August trip there, friends had accompanied him, though they opted to stop going further after seeing the rushing water's power, California highway patrol flight officer paramedic Mike Crane said to the Chronicle. According to the outlet, Wardwell's friends left a note on his car telling passersby to report him missing if the vehicle was still there the next day, which it was. Wardwell ended up nestling himself in a dark cave beneath the waterfall – completely soaked – after being thrusted off his rappel lines, the Chronicle added. Tulare county sheriff's office captain Kevin Kemmerling told the Chronicle that Wardwell fought to escape for two days, 'but there was nothing he could do to break through'. 'There was no way for him to warm up or dry out in there, so it had to have been miserable,' Kemmerling said to the newspaper. Crane, speaking to the Chronicle, added: 'I got the impression that maybe he didn't know if he was ever going to get out of there.' The Tulare sheriff's office said in its statement that it reminded members of the public 'to always be aware of their environment and capabilities, especially when navigating white water rivers' like the one at the Seven Teacups. 'Stay safe, stay smart and stay alive,' the statement from the sheriff's office said. Solve the daily Crossword
The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
‘Stunning survival story': Police rescue California man trapped behind waterfall for two days
A California man who recently became trapped behind a waterfall for two days while climbing was dramatically rescued by police utilizing a helicopter. Ryan Wardwell, 46, of Long Beach, went to waterfalls known as the Seven Teacups on 10 August with plans to rappel down, the sheriff's office of Tulare country said in a social media post. But the 'extreme hydraulics' of the waterfalls pushed Wardwell off his rappelling lines and trapped him behind a cascade of the Kern river, according to the sheriff's office. His failure to return to his car that night prompted local law enforcement to spend 11 August searching for him with infrared technology and aircraft. Difficult terrain and fading daylight thwarted their efforts that day. But rescuers found Wardwell the next day after flying a drone behind the cascade in question. Wardwell was alive and conscious when rescuers spotted him, and he told them how he had become stranded there, the Tulare county sheriff's office said. A California highway patrol helicopter crew then managed to hoist him to safety to cap off what the sheriff's office declared a 'stunning survival story'. Wardwell received treatment for dehydration and 'only minor injuries', and he was reunited with family who had gone to the scene, the sheriff's office said. The agency published video of Wardwell's rescue on Facebook, where it captured attention from news media outlets that reported on the situation. The clip showed the helicopter whipping around foliage and water around the cascade before the crew lifted Wardwell onboard. An attraction for hiking and outdoors adventure enthusiasts, the Seven Teacups are in a secluded area about two hours south of the Sequoia national park, which itself is east of Visalia, California. Wardwell had rappelled the falls several times before, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. On his 10 August trip there, friends had accompanied him, though they opted to stop going further after seeing the rushing water's power, California highway patrol flight officer paramedic Mike Crane said to the Chronicle. According to the outlet, Wardwell's friends left a note on his car telling passersby to report him missing if the vehicle was still there the next day, which it was. Wardwell ended up nestling himself in a dark cave beneath the waterfall – completely soaked – after being thrusted off his rappel lines, the Chronicle added. Tulare county sheriff's office captain Kevin Kemmerling told the Chronicle that Wardwell fought to escape for two days, 'but there was nothing he could do to break through'. 'There was no way for him to warm up or dry out in there, so it had to have been miserable,' Kemmerling said to the newspaper. Crane, speaking to the Chronicle, added: 'I got the impression that maybe he didn't know if he was ever going to get out of there.' The Tulare sheriff's office said in its statement that it reminded members of the public 'to always be aware of their environment and capabilities, especially when navigating white water rivers' like the one at the Seven Teacups. 'Stay safe, stay smart and stay alive,' the statement from the sheriff's office said.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Hiker, 46, suffers dehydration after getting trapped behind enormous roaring waterfall for two days
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.
