LOS ANGELES (KNX) — Rescue crews with the Los Angeles Fire Department are trying to find the owners of three vehicles that swept into the raging L.A. river Tuesday, amid ongoing storms.
L.A. City Fire Captain Erik Scott shared video of two submerged cars just before 10:30 a.m., below a bridge in the 2700 block of E Washington Boulevard. At the time it was believed that they were empty, but it wasn't until at least 2:30 p.m. that Swift Water Rescue crews were able to access the vehicles, due to safety precautions.
“Totally submerged in water, therefore anyone inside would be unsurvivable," he told KNX. "Everything we do is risk versus gain — we’re not going to put firefighters in harm’s way if there’s not a life to save."
Just before 3 p.m. Scott said one of the two cars had been swept away by the river, but the car that remained turned out to as expected, empty.
Earlier in the day Cpt. Dustin Clark explained that initial calls for a car in the river near Main Street came in around 6 a.m. He said swift water teams then assembled, dispatching to spots all along downriver spots to see what they could find.
Ultimately a car was found around 7 a.m., pinned against a railroad track column just upstream from the Washington Boulevard Bridge, Clark said, explaining that during the course of the search a second vehicle floated by and came to rest atop the first vehicle that was found.
Clark went on to explain that it was too dangerous to send in a swimmer to search the vehicle for occupants.
“If we were to end up deploying one of our rescue swimmers over the side on rigging...we're looking at possible 10 to 12 foot standing wave with unpredictable current flow," Clark said.
"Putting somebody down there in harms way with that type of current flow - there is no safe way to end up evading the situation."
Early Tuesday morning reports of a rollover car crash in the 1600 block of North Main Street were reported, with several witnesses saying that at least one of the cars had gone into the river, according to KTLA.
It's unclear if any of the three cars reported by LAFD were involved in that crash.
So far, no victims have been located or identified, KTLA reported.
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