Two teens had to be rescued from fast-moving waters underneath a bridge Friday afternoon after dropping into the river wash to evade school police, authorities said.
The girl and boy became trapped in the LA River wash under Laurel Canyon Bridge in Pacoima, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
They apparently dropped into the wash while running from school police, said Monica Carazo, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Unified School District.
The incident was reported about 3:45 p.m. The pair was rescued at about 4:30 p.m. and reunited with their parents. They were taken to a hospital as a precaution, LAFD spokesman Erik Scott said.
A police officer with the Los Angeles School Police Department suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital in good condition, Scott said.
Rescuers tried a couple different methods to pluck the pair from the water.
Initially, police officers on either side of the river held the ends of a rope for the teens to grab onto should they slide downstream.
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Then, firefighters dropped a ladder into the wash. A rescuer waded into the shin-deep water and grabbed the teens, who climbed the ladder to safety.
Portions of Laurel Canyon were closed near the 118 Freeway.
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