Eight people and eight dogs were rescued from the San Gabriel River in Azusa after they were swept away by fast-moving water on Monday night, authorities said.
Firefighters received reports that a ninth person was also in the river, but it’s unclear if that information was accurate, Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman Ruben Muñoz said.
A 911 call reporting people in the river arrived shortly after 6 p.m. and firefighters responded to the area of North Todd Avenue and West Sierra Madre Avenue in Azusa, authorities said.
Initially, officials said there were seven people in the water, but updated the number to eight. Five people were helped out of the river and three were lifted by helicopter, Muñoz said.
None of the people required hospitalization, but the condition of the animals was unclear. Firefighters did not explain how the victims ended up in or near the water. During previous storms, emergency crews rescued people living in homeless encampments along the riverbed from rapid floodwaters.
Firefighters did not know the status of those rescued on Monday.
Authorities continued to search the river and flood channels until 10 p.m. for the possible ninth person in the water, according to the fire department.
The correspondent who informed emergency authorities of the possible ninth person left the scene and did not provide further information, Muñoz said.
“We continued to patrol the area around the flood canals for signs of bodies and did not locate anyone,” Muñoz said. “They did their due diligence to find this person.”