Crews rescue man from rain-swollen Los Angeles River in Boyle Heights

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Thursday, March 16, 2023
Crews rescue man from rain-swollen LA River in Boyle Heights
Crews hoisted a man to safety after he became trapped in the rain-swollen Los Angeles River in Boyle Heights.

BOYLE HEIGHTS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A dramatic rescue captured on video showed the moment crews hoisted a man to safety after he became trapped in the rain-swollen Los Angeles River in Boyle Heights Wednesday afternoon.



LAFD crews responded to a report of a person in distress just after 5 p.m.



Aerial footage showed the victim holding on for dear life next to a concrete wall as crews tried to rescue him from the raging river.



It's unclear how the man became trapped, but he was in the water for at least 30 minutes.



Crews called for a fire department helicopter and lowered a rescue worker down to get a hold of him.



Despite battling the fast-moving water, the victim was able to latch on to the first responder and get hoisted into the chopper.



The victim, a 51-year-old man, was taken to L.A. County + USC Medical Center to be treated for hypothermia.



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