The man had climbed the tree to stay above the fast-moving water but became trapped as the river continued to rise, reported PEOPLE . A man who was stranded in a tree for nearly 12 hours above the Salt River in Arizona was rescued by a helicopter after rising water levels left him unable to escape.
As the water level increased, the man climbed a tree to protect himself from the rushing current. However, he soon realised that he could not get down safely. The situation became more urgent as the man started showing signs of exhaustion. The rescue team first considered using a raft to reach him but later decided that a helicopter was the only safe option. A helicopter from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office was called to the location. A rescuer was lowered from the helicopter using a long line and helped lift the man out of the tree and away from the fast-moving water. Despite spending most of the night and morning stranded in the tree, the man was alert and able to walk after the rescue.
Because of the strong current and steep riverbanks, firefighters could see the man in the tree, but reaching him was difficult. Because he was becoming tired, tempe Fire Medical Rescue Assistant Chief of Operations Joe Escontrias said that rescuers were concerned that the man might fall from the tree. The man was in the riverbed about a mile east of Tempe Town Lake when the water began rising around midnight on Monday, November 2, according to the Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department. Emergency responders were alerted around 11 am after a passerby reported hearing someone screaming near the intersection of Loop 101 and Loop 202.
Escontrias said that he also appeared to be in good spirits.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office had also issued a warning about the rising water levels in the river. In a social media post, the department cautioned that the increased water could create dangerous currents and rapidly changing conditions. The department urged people to stay away from the river and warned them never to attempt to drive or walk through flowing water. It also reminded residents to turn around rather than risk being swept away.
The man, who was unhoused and had been staying in the riverbed before the water started rising, was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
