Four Rescued From Island in Rising LA River

Four people trapped on a small island were rescued early Monday from the rising Los Angeles River.

Firefighters battled a heavy downpour and strong river current, moving at an estimated 35 mph, as they tried to reach the island in Atwater Village near the 5 Freeway and Los Feliz Boulevard. The four people were stuck on the piece of land surrounded by water that rose around them during a night of steady rain.  

Fire-rescue personnel used an inflatable boat tethered to the opposite shore to reach the two men and two women, who had climbed a tree to avoid the floodwaters. An airlift was not an option due to powerlines in the area. 

The four individuals were hospitalized with moderate injuries.

About an inch of rain fell across much of the Los Angeles area beginning Sunday. The rain was much heavier to the north, with 2.2 inches reported at a mountain weather station in San Luis Obispo County between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

It was the first significant rainfall for parched Los Angeles since mid-October. Before the latest storm, rainfall totals for 2016 were about half the historical average, with the region remains locked in drought.

Contact Us