Last week, Ryan Wardwell, a 46-year-old climber from Long Beach, California, was rescued after surviving for two days trapped behind a waterfall in the Sequoia National Forest. He was reported missing last Monday after he didn’t return to his car on Sunday night. Using infrared technology, first responders were able to detect a possible heat source behind the Seven Teacups waterfall along the Kern River.
The next morning, search-and-rescue teams used a drone to confirm Wardwell’s location in a cavity behind the waterfall. He later told deputies that he’d slipped off his rappel lines and was trapped by what he described as the river’s “extreme hydraulics.” Fortunately, Wardwell was found alive and responsive. Although he was suffering from extreme cold, after being checked at the scene, he was released to his family the same day.
The rescue was carried out by Deputy Craig Douglas with help from his colleagues and a California Highway Patrol helicopter crew. “They were able to lower me perfectly right next to him,” Douglas explains. Authorities say that Wardwell had rappelled the site before but was alone this time after friends decided conditions were too dangerous. The sheriff’s office is taking the opportunity to remind the public to be cautious in whitewater areas.
Source: NBC NEWS