Four people were swept away by surging floodwaters in a Los Angeles drainage channel Thursday morning, triggering a helicopter rescue and frantic search for additional victims.
The Los Angeles Fire Department scrambled to the Pacoima Wash near 15012 W. Parthenia St. In North Hills after reports that a man and a woman had become trapped in the fast-moving water, officials said. Heavy rain had transformed the narrow concrete channel into a dangerous torrent.
As responders worked to extract the pair by helicopter, the operation expanded dramatically. Two additional people were still unaccounted for somewhere in the flood system, forcing crews to extend their search along the overflowing waterway.
A third victim was spotted clinging to a structure within the channel and was subsequently pulled to safety, the fire department reported. The dramatic sight of a person holding on against the rushing current added urgency to an already tense operation.
The fourth individual reported missing had managed to get out without assistance, officials confirmed. The self-rescue meant all four people swept into the Pacoima Wash were ultimately accounted for, though the full extent of any injuries was not immediately detailed.
The emergency unfolded as a powerful storm system delivered heavy rain across Los Angeles, overwhelming drainage infrastructure designed for far drier conditions. The San Fernando Valley, where North Hills sits, saw some of the most intense precipitation, turning typically manageable channels into hazardous waterways within hours.
The Pacoima Wash, a concrete flood control channel that runs through the northeastern San Fernando Valley, is designed to carry storm runoff away from residential areas. During intense rainfall, however, these channels can fill rapidly and generate deceptively powerful currents that pose lethal risks to anyone caught inside.
Thursday’s rescue marked another instance of Southern California’s aging flood infrastructure being tested by increasingly intense storm patterns. The narrow dimensions of the Pacoima Wash allow water levels to rise quickly with limited warning, creating dangerous conditions for unsheltered residents, motorists, and others who may find themselves near the channel during downpours.
The LAFD’s helicopter-based extraction of the first two victims demonstrated the technical complexity of water rescues in confined urban channels, where standard boat operations are often impossible. Crews must frequently rely on aerial approaches to reach people stranded in floodwaters that are too fast or debris-filled for surface craft.
The storm system responsible for the flooding continued to drench the Los Angeles area Thursday, with multiple flood warnings and advisories in effect across the region. Emergency officials repeatedly cautioned residents to avoid all flood control channels, washes, and riverbeds during and immediately after rainfall.