On May 9, 2020, an off-duty state patrol officer jumped into action after a 24-year-old hiker was caught in a whirlpool when he fell into the water at Angel Falls in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains.
CHP officer Brent Donley is trained in search and rescue and managed to quickly fashion a rescue device using straps from his backback tied to a tree branch to pull the victim to safety.
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Whirlpools can be incredibly dangerous depending on the size and can happen anywhere water is flowing. They are caused when two opposing currents of water meet and create a funnel with a powerful downdraft. Though some might appear to be small or hard to see, they can often trap a person underwater making it very hard to escape.
With the snowcaps melting as summer approaches, the rivers in California are stronger, with faster currents that can lead to an increased number of whirlpools. In addition to the dangerous currents, the melted snow that makes up these rivers is still extremely cold.
Donley told ABC7 News,
“I wasn’t panicked at all. I was trying to be quick about it because I didn’t know how much more time he had in the water, and I didn’t know how long he’d been in the water.”
Officer Donley stayed with the man and provided first aid until search and rescue deputies and EMS arrived at the scene.
Watch the video of the daring rescue below.