It is rightly said that not all heroes wear capes. They just appear from nowhere to rescue those stuck in grave danger. This is what precisely happened with a 24-year-old hiker who got trapped in a whirlpool of cold water.
According to CNN, the young lad was trying to cross Angel Falls in California when he misjudged the swiftness of the water and got stuck in the cold and fast-moving waterbody.
But luckily, an off-duty California Highway Patrol Officer Brent Donley, who was also hiking in the area nearby, came to his rescue.
According to a Facebook post by California Highway Patrol Fresno, Officer Brent Donley, who is trained in search and rescue was alerted about a victim. The man was struggling to keep above the water that was flowing at 50-80 feet per second. Donley immediately reached the spot and initiated the rescue operation. He quickly detached a strap from his backpack and tied it around a branch.
He then threw the branch towards the hiker. The hiker somehow managed to grab the branch and with the help of the people present at the scene, the officer was able to pull the hiker to safety, reported NDTV. Donley then provided the hiker with first aid and stayed by his side until search and rescue deputies arrived at the spot.
Video of the hiker’s narrow escape soon made it to social media.
While hiking at Angel Falls near Bass Lake in Madera County, with his family, off-duty CHP Officer Brent Donley (wearing the ball-cap) was alerted to a victim who was struggling to keep above water, stuck in the cold and fast moving water. Thinking quick, he utilized his Adidas backpack’s para cord style strap, cut it out and tied it together with a small branch to allow the victim something to grab. With the assistance of other hikers, Officer Donley pulled the man to safety and assisted him for until help from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office arrived. Officer Donley’s quick thinking and training in search and rescue, undoubtedly helped to save the man’s life. @californiahighwaypatrol @chp_centraldivision @abc30_actionnews @kmphfox26 @ksee24 @cbs47fresno @univisionfresno @thefresnobee @maderasheriff @adidas @adidas_hiking
Posted by CHP – Fresno on Saturday, May 9, 2020
According to Madera County Sheriff’s Office, ‘with snow runoff, the water is flowing at 50-80 feet per second. That’s about 50-80 basketballs full of water every second.’
People online appreciated the officer for his heroic act:
The consequences of this accident could have been fatal if the officer was not present at the right place at the right time. We applaud him for his quick-thinking and preparedness at such a vulnerable situation.