A man trapped behind the Sequoia National Forest Falls was suspended after being suspended by a helicopter for two days, according to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office.
In a video posted to social media on Wednesday, a deputy was seen lowering from a helicopter to the corner behind a cascading waterfall on seven teacup trails to Ryan Wardwell, 46, of Long Beach.
Wardwell began hanging on the trail Sunday morning and knocked on the waterfall, but was reportedly missing on Monday. He was last seen on Sunday night at the top of a waterfall near the North Fork of Kern River.
The sheriff’s office used cameras and infrared technology on the plane to determine Wardwell’s location and developed a rescue plan to retrieve him the next morning before dawn.
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A Long Beach man was trapped while trapped in a waterfall in a Sequoia National Forest, officials said.
Tuesday morning, the sheriff’s office sent its search and rescue team along with a quick diving team to the site. The office said they used a drone to find Wardwell behind the falls, alive and well. A helicopter from the California Highway Patrol was sent to the scene and Wardwell was evacuated from the falls.
He was then flew to a nearby landing area and received minor injuries and dehydration. He reunited with his family, and they were in the landing area.
Wardwell told authorities that he had stood out from the violent lines due to the river’s violent flow and was trapped behind the waterfall.
“The TCSO Emergency Services reminds the public to always be aware of their environment and capabilities, especially when driving the Whitewater River,” the Sheriff’s Office said in the Post.
The seven teacups are about 4 miles long and are known for their continuous cascaded swimming pools resemble teacups. The trail runs along Dry Meadow Creek, which flows into the Kern River. The hiking blog describes the trail as challenging and dangerous for those who are not prepared. It cannot be done on foot, and hikers need ropes and equipment to lower the canyon and recover.
American Canyon Association. Setting seven tea cups at 3C means it has a strong flow of water and requires technical skills in the middle.
Three hikers drowned while swimming in a whirlpool that unexpectedly formed at the end of the same trail in August.
