Firefighters responded yesterday afternoon to a man clinging to a section of a culvert in cold, fast-moving water in a storm channel at Bolsa Avenue and Goldenwest Street, according to the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA).
The OCFA Emergency Command Center launched a swift water rescue response, including their helicopter and technical rescue crews.
First-arriving firefighters quickly lowered inflated fire hoses over the edge to capture the victim in case he lost his grip. Crews quickly positioned the truck’s aerial ladder, allowing technical rescue firefighters to lower a rescuer, secure the victim, and raise him to safety.
Firefighter paramedics assessed and transported him to the hospital for evaluation.
The OCFA offers their thanks to their partners at Huntington Beach Fire Department and Westminster Police Department for their assistance.
In Orange County, swift water rescues occur primarily during major rain events when storm channels and creeks quickly fill with fast-moving water. While the county averages roughly six drownings per year in its 600+ miles of flood-control channels, the number of successful rescues fluctuates based on the intensity of seasonal storms.
Notable Swift Water Incidents in Orange County (2021–2026)
Below is a list of documented swift water rescues and related incidents from the past five years:
- January 3, 2026 (Westminster): A man was rescued from a culvert at Bolsa Avenue and Goldenwest Street using an aerial ladder and helicopter support.
- January 1, 2026 (Santa Ana River): Firefighters recovered the body of an adult female who had traveled approximately two miles down-river near Warner Avenue and Harbor Boulevard.
- March 13, 2025 (San Juan Capistrano): A driver was rescued via helicopter hoist after his SUV was swept into rushing water in Trabuco Creek.
- February 14, 2025 (San Juan Capistrano): A man and a woman were rescued from San Juan Creek at 1:42 a.m. after being dragged downstream; one victim jumped into the arms of a helicopter rescuer as they were being swept away.
- January 14, 2023 (Laguna Hills): A woman clinging to a tree in a flooded creek near Christina Court was rescued by an OCFA helicopter hoist during a heavy storm.
- January 2023 (Various): During a series of intense storms, OC swift water teams also assisted in rescuing four people from a car stuck in a creek using a 14-foot ladder as a bridge.
- November 8, 2022 (Buena Park): An adult male stuck in cold, fast-moving water was saved using a “teeter-totter” ladder maneuver to lift him over a channel wall.
- December 12, 2022 (Santa Ana River): Firefighters and paramedics rescued a man who had been swept away in the Santa Ana River.