Search called off for man feared swept away by Dominguez Channel in Gardena

GARDENA, Calif. (KABC) -- Firefighters on Monday morning called off a search-and-rescue operation for a man feared swept away by the Dominguez Channel in Gardena after his girlfriend was rescued from the water, officials said.

Gardena Police Department officers found the woman in the channel after a search was launched near the 1200 block of Cassidy Street, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said about 5:30 a.m.

"It's pretty easy to lose your footing when the water is moving that quickly and in this type of storm it'll come with no warning," Lt. Vince Osorio with the Gardena Police Department said.

She was being assessed by firefighter-paramedics and said she did not know if her boyfriend had made it out of the water, fire officials said. The 30-year-old man is described as 6 feet tall and wearing a yellow shirt.

The fire department said waters in the channel are 7-to-8 feet deep and were flowing at a speed of about 35 mph.

Officials said the man and woman entered the water at a known homeless encampment.

The active search was canceled by 8:30 a.m., officials said, and the incident was being investigated as a missing-person case.