CAJON PASS, Calif. (VVNG.com) — Firefighters worked quickly to safely rescue a man from a vehicle that was swept away by rapid flood waters Tuesday morning in the Cajon Pass.
At about 9:33 am, on November 8, 2022, San Bernardino County Fire crews were dispatched to a reported swift water rescue at the intersection of Swarthout Canyon Road & Cajon Boulevard in the Cajon Pass.
Officials said 911 callers reported that one vehicle was stuck in raging floodwaters prompting a full swift water rescue assignment, including two specialized water rescue teams.
According to a San Bernardino County Fire news release, Firefighters arrived to find one vehicle with a male adult already on the roof stuck in moving water. The flash flood was multiple feet high which had caused the occupant to retreat to the roof.
As arriving crews set up for a rescue, the car was swept away. Downstream spotters monitored the vehicle’s path down the Cajon Pass.
The car with the occupant on the roof traveled more than 1/8 of a mile before finally coming to rest along a bank.
Once the vehicle stopped, firefighters threw a personal flotation device and tagline to the victim. Rescuers quickly entered the water, secured the victim and brought him to safety. Once removed he was treated by awaiting paramedics.
The male was not injured and declined medical transport. No firefighters were injured in the rescue.
San Bernardino County Fire responded with two engine companies, two Heavy Rescues, two Swift Water Units, a Battalion Chief, and a Medic Ambulance.
SBCF Safety Message:
Heavy rainfall can cause normally dry washes and riverbeds to become raging torrents in a very short amount of time, and it only takes as little as 12 inches of moving water to move a vehicle. Never cross a road that you can’t see due to it being covered by water. Remember, “Turn Around; Don’t Drown.”
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