A little boy who got too close to the rain-flooded Santa Ana River in Santa Ana was rescued Sunday after being swept away, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
Officials received the call around 2:05 p.m. from the Fairview Street neighborhood and the Santa Ana Riverbed, fire department officials wrote on Twitter. The boy’s father went into the water to try to save him but was unable. Firefighters did not release the boy’s age or other details about why he was near the river.
A passerby spotted the child floating in the river and rescued the boy, authorities said. A Swift Water Rescue response was launched; the boy was treated by paramedics and taken to hospital in stable condition.
“While we have a break from the rain, there is or may still be water flowing through Orange County waterways,” the firefighters wrote on Twitter. “We strongly recommend everyone to stay away. It doesn’t take much water to wash people downstream where there are many dangerous hazards.
Storms battered California last week, causing flooding and power outages in northern and central California. Southern California is expected to see more rain this week with the next atmospheric river storm.