BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Two people are recovering Friday evening after being pulled out of the Kern River by rescue crews.
The Bakersfield Fire Department responded to the river in an area of Hart Park in Bakersfield at around 5:30 pm on Friday, June 23 to reports that one adult and one child were trapped in the Kern and holding on for their lives.
A BFD rescue team was able to bring both of the people back out of the river safely, but officials say this is a perfect example of the dangers the Kern River presents.
"The water's very high this year. Please be careful," warned BFD Battalion Chief Alexander Clark. "Stay out of the water. These 2 people were smart in the sense that they had a life jacket on, or PFD [personal floatation device], but they still both got stuck and were still in quite a bit of danger until we were able to get to them."
Chief Clark says it's especially important to keep safety as a top priority, especially as the weather heats up and more people may be tempted to get into local waterways.
WATCH THE FULL VIDEO FROM 23ABC NEWS AT 6:
VIDEO OF THE RESCUE FROM THE BAKERSFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT:
