Dramatic Kern River rescue after woman swept downstream

Rescuers were caught on camera dramatically saving a woman who fell into the raging rapids of the Kern River near California’s southern Sierra Nevada mountains.

Footage captured the woman, who was was swept downstream by the river’s fast-moving current, struggling as crews from the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Air Support Unit responded to the scene.

She was found at the base of a steep cliff beneath a rock outcropping, clinging to the underside of the rock while partially submerged in the cold water.

The video shows her desperately clinging to a rock before rescuers throw her a life jacket. They then toss her her flotation device attached to a rope, allowing her to be safely pulled from the river.

After the rescue, the unidentified woman was turned over to emergency medical personnel for evaluation.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office cautions that the Kern River is very dangerous, even for experienced swimmers. People can be quickly overwhelmed by strong currents, cold water temperatures, and submerged hazards, they said.

Visitors are urged to always wear a life jacket when they’re near or in the river.

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