A Long Beach man, Ryan Wardell, aged 46, faced an unexpected trial in the backcountry when an equipment malfunction left him trapped for two days behind a waterfall. As reported by NBC Los Angeles, the incident occurred at the Seven Teacups waterfalls, in the remote canvas of Tulare County's landscape, near the North Fork of the Kern River.
After Wardell vanished on August 10, his concerned family requested aid, prompting the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) to launch a search. Despite being equipped with specialized cameras and infrared technology on aircraft, the rescue teams could not proceed until the following Tuesday, due to the terrain's unforgiving nature and the darkness enveloping the search area. As per NBC Los Angeles, the operation was assigned to the adept hands of TCSO’s Swiftwater-Dive Rescue Team and the Search and Rescue Teams.
Success came when TCSO deployed a drone that located Wardell, alive and responsive, behind the waterfall's veil. TCSO then coordinated with a California Highway Patrol helicopter, detailed by CBS News Los Angeles, to extricate the trapped man. A member of the rescue team was lowered by hoist into the water feature, securing Wardell for a safe extraction from his perilous pocket of isolation. After being stranded for two days, Wardell was treated for minor injuries and dehydration.
