After being stranded behind a strong waterfall in Sequoia National Forest for two days, a 46-year-old California man was discovered safe but exhausted, according to police.
Ryan Wardwell intended to rappel the Seven Teacups waterfalls close to the North Fork of the Kern River in California on Sunday, August 10. According to a statement from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office that People was able to receive, he did not go back to his car that evening.
Wardwell and four friends had ascended to the top of the falls. According to California Highway Patrol flying officer paramedic Mike Crane, who spoke to the San Francisco Chronicle, they chose to turn around after realizing how powerful the water was.
Wardwell, however, who had already made four rappels of the waterfalls, continued by himself. According to the publication, his buddies left a message on his car after returning to the trailhead, requesting anyone in the area to report him missing if his car was still there the following day.
Wardwell had been last seen at the summit of the Seven Teacups waterfalls the previous evening, according to reports sent to the sheriff’s office by Monday, August 11.
Emergency personnel discovered a potential location for Wardwell following a thorough search that included planes fitted with cameras and infrared technology, but it was too risky to save him. When it was safer, officials chose to return at first light the following day.
A drone discovered Wardwell alive behind a sizable waterfall on Tuesday morning, August 12. According to officials, he told deputies that the severe hydraulics of the river had caused him to come off his rappel ropes and become stranded behind the waterfall.
According to the Chronicle, Wardwell had spent two days hunched and drenched in a dark grotto beneath the waterfall.
According to Capt. Kevin Kemmerling of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, he attempted to break out for days but was unsuccessful. It must have been wretched because there was no way for him to dry out or warm up.
Authorities reported that after securing Wardwell and lowering a member of the rescue crew from a helicopter down the waterfall, they were both raised to safety. Officials published video of the rescue and referred to it as a breathtaking survival story.
Crane, who ran the hoist and spoke to Wardwell following his rescue, told the Chronicle, “I got the impression that maybe he didn’t know if he was ever going to get out of there.”
Wardwell received treatment for dehydration and minor wounds after landing in a dry area. His family was anticipating his arrival.
According to AllTrails, the Seven Teacups are a group of pools created by powerful currents from Dry Meadow Creek. It is advised that hikers who lack sufficient equipment and substantial canyoneering experience avoid entering the pools.
Following the event, authorities urged individuals to be aware of their level of experience and the surrounding conditions before entering white-water rivers.
According to the sheriff’s office, “stay safe, stay smart, and stay alive.”
