Oceanside rescue personnel saved a man in a swift-water operation along the San Luis Rey River on Friday, Feb. 9.
Rescuers were called to the rain-swollen river upstream of the College Bridge at 9:03 p.m., according to an Oceanside Fire Department incident report. Fire personnel and Oceanside Police Department officers located a man standing waist-deep in fast-moving water about 30 yards from the river’s south bank.
The National Weather Service’s San Diego office had recorded a water depth of about 8 feet at the time of the incident.
Witnesses observed the man, who authorities did not identify, moving away from the shore into neck-deep water and floating downstream, the Fire Department reported. Authorities then located the man through the use of a Police Department infrared drone.
Fire department personnel and two Lifeguard Division swift-water teams positioned themselves to rescue the man, who was able to make it to the opposite side of the river, the report stated. He was then escorted by paramedics for evaluation.
“In addition to the danger of the fast-moving water, rescuers were concerned for the effects of cold exposure on the victim,” the report stated.
The man was treated for cold onsite and then transported to a local hospital.
“The Oceanside Fire Dept. would like to remind the public that fast-moving water can quickly overtake even the strongest swimmer,” the Fire Department stated in its report. “During times of heavy rain fall, entry into rivers and streams should be avoided.”
