Apr 4, 2007 3:03 pm US/Pacific
Woman Pulled To Safety From Santa Cruz Co. River
SANTA CRUZ (BCN) ―
Santa Cruz rescuers pulled a woman to safety after a section of the San Lorenzo River suddenly opened up with a flood of water, catching three people off guard, Santa Cruz fire Battalion Chief Mike Venezio said Wednesday.
The woman was apparently trying to walk across some 20 yards of water near the river's mouth when she was swept away around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday.
At least three people were caught off-guard downriver as the rush of water pushed the woman 300 yards out to sea and trapped two other people on a cliff.
Another two people, who attempted to rescue the woman from the ocean, also nearly became victims themselves, according to Venezio.
Santa Cruz fire and lifeguard rescuers were called to the river mouth to assist in the rescue.
Venezio said the river occasionally dams up with sand and then periodically breaks free with a sudden gush of water.
A harbor patrol boat rescued the woman who had been washed away and took her to Santa Cruz Harbor from where she was transported to Dominican Hospital and treated for hypothermia and water intake.
The Santa Cruz Fire Department reminds people to stay away from the mouth of the river and to respect the currents and power of the river as it enters the ocean. Rescues at the mouth of the San Lorenzo River are an annual occurrence, Venezio said.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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