Three people trapped beneath a bridge in Fullerton were pulled to safety overnight after rising water in a drainage channel prompted a rescue. The rescue unfolded at about 2:30 a.m. near the intersection of West Valencia Drive and South Basque Avenue.
Orange County Fire Authority firefighters responded to assist the Fullerton Fire Department, according to a report from mynewsla.com.
Crews Navigate Rising Water To Reach Trapped Group
Rescue crews brought all three individuals to safety before transporting them to a local hospital for further evaluation, per the same mynewsla.com report. Rising channel waters prompted the rescue.
The Orange County Fire Authority has not detailed the identities, ages, or conditions of the three people who were rescued, nor how they came to be beneath the bridge.
Fire Officials Renew Warning About Flood Channels
In its post sharing video of the rescue, the Orange County Fire Authority warned that flood-control channels can become dangerous as water levels rise with little warning, and urged the public to stay clear of channels and moving water during and after storms. The agency's caution echoes a recurring hazard in the area whenever significant rain falls.
It isn't the first time swift water has forced a dramatic rescue in Fullerton. In May 2019, emergency crews pulled a man from a drainage ditch in the 100 block of South Cornell Avenue amid heavy downpours, according to KTLA. That man was found holding onto a rope when firefighters arrived at about 10:30 p.m., and he was taken to an ambulance after apparently breaking both ankles in the fall, KTLA reported.
