Dad couldn’t grab boy swept away in river — so bystander jumps in, CA officials say

A boy was rescued by a bystander after he was swept away in a California riverbed, officials said.

The boy got too close to the water’s edge March 12 and ended up ”approximately half a mile down the Santa Ana riverbed,” according to a Twitter post by Orange County Fire Authority.

Captain Thanh Nguyen said the boy was playing with two other children at the time, according to The Press-Enterprise.

His father rushed into the water, trying to save his son but wasn’t able to grab him, officials said.

Another relative joined the boy’s dad in the rescue mission, but they were both swept away, according to The Press-Enterprise. They were able to swim back to shore.

It wasn’t until a bystander saw the boy floating that they “jumped in” and were “able to rescue the boy,” according to the fire authority.

Fire personnel got a call at about 2:05 p.m., and a rescue team was dispatched and found the boy and his rescuer, officials said.

The boy was treated by fire officials and taken to a local hospital in stable condition, officials said.

Officials urge the public to remember that despite the break from rain, “it doesn’t take a lot of water to wash people downriver.”

Orange County is about 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

This story was originally published March 13, 2023 at 10:57 AM with the headline "Dad couldn’t grab boy swept away in river — so bystander jumps in, CA officials say."