A California rescue crew pulled a 25-year-old swimmer from roaring white waters, where he was clinging to a rock near a 50-foot waterfall, according to California Highway Patrol.
Dramatic video shows Tuiono “sitting just feet from sure death” atop the rock, waving his arms for help, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Duncan Jensen told The Washington Post.
A helicopter maneuvered into position at a higher-than-usual altitude to keep from blowing Tuiono from the rock, Jensen said. Video then shows the team lower a rescue basket, and a first-responder pulls Tuiono to safety.
California Highway Patrol spokesman David White said, “It is a total miracle he survived this thing.”
Facebook user Tuiono posted a message later Saturday about how his life had been saved.
Tuiono could not immediately be reached for comment, but he told the Reno Gazette-Journal, “I have never had a more humbling experience.”
“I got caught in the undertow and was suddenly in rapids. It felt like a roller coaster,” he told the newspaper. He added that the waters were so rough, he lost his sense of direction as he was beaten beneath the surface and could not tell which way was up. Then, he said, he was tossed into the rock.
“I held on,” he told the Reno Gazette-Journal.
Authorities said that they received a call about a stranded swimmer on a rock in the river and, after searching for about 30 minutes, found Tuiono about a mile from the spot where he was swept away. Tuiono suffered some minor scratches and a bump on the head but had no other injuries, said White, public information officer with California Highway Patrol’s Valley Division Air Operations.
White said had Tuiono been carried another 20 feet, he would have fallen down a three-tiered waterfall and “there’s no way to make it through that.”
After rescuers pulled Tuiono from the water, they had to return to the area for his girlfriend, who had gotten stranded on a ledge while running along the river trying to find him, White said.
On Sunday, Tuiono replied to a Facebook post from California Highway Patrol about the incident, thanking the rescue team for its efforts.
“I can’t express how much I appreciate the effort I [have] seen out of everyone yesterday,” he wrote. “Your team as well as the fire departments are literally my heroes.”
“We are glad we could help,” authorities replied. “Stay safe.”
White said Emerald Pools is a popular swimming hole this time of year, but the winter’s heavy snowfall and recent heat spell have resulted in an intense runoff that has made the waters unexpectedly rough.
He said that so far this year, there have been about 10 drownings in the area covered by CHP’s Valley Division Air Operations.
Authorities are warning swimmers to stay away.
After searching for a drowning victim last week, the rescue team posted a warning on Facebook, saying, “Please people, for your loved one’s sake, stay out of the rivers. They’re cold, fast moving, and have many underwater obstacles. Wait until the water levels drop and the waters warm up, please.”
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