Alameda County Fire crews rescue woman trapped overnight on car in swift-moving Livermore creek
LIVEMORE — A woman was stranded on top of her car in a swift-moving Livermore creek for about 15 hours before being rescued Tuesday morning, the Alameda County Fire Department said.
Just after 10 a.m. Tuesday, a camper near the 7000 block of Del Valle Road called the Alameda County Fire Department about a car submerged in the water.
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Fire crews at the scene spotted a woman sitting on top of the car and began planning a rescue, while calling the CHP for help. Thanks to appropriate weather, a CHP helicopter was able to lower a rescue technician and get the woman out of the creek.
"It could have had a whole different outcome. She could have been swept downstream, but she was strong enough to get up on top of the vehicle," said Battalion Chief Kent Carlin, with Alameda Fire. "Maybe out of her tenacity or luck. I don't know what it was. The entire cab was submerged, so she was able to swim out of the window and climb herself up on the vehicle."
Video posted on the CHP Golden Gate Division Air Operations account showed the dramatic rescue.
**Water Rescue--Lake Del Valle** This morning, CHP H-30 responded with Alameda County Fire, Pleasanton-Livermore Fire, East Bay Regional Parks, San Ramon Fire Department Helicopter Rescue Technician (HRT) and Falck Ambulance to a report of an overturned vehicle at Lake Del Valle. It was further reported that the occupant was sitting on top of the vehicle in the middle of a flowing creek. As firefighters set up for a rescue with rescue swimmers, H-30 arrived overhead and lowered a San Ramon Valley Fire Department Helicopter Rescue Technician (HRT) to the vehicle. The San Ramon Valley Fire HRT placed the victim in a rescue harness for rescue. H-30 was able to hoist the HRT member and victim from the car to waiting firefighters. The victim was transported to a local hospital by ambulance with minor injuries. It appears the victim attempted to drive across a creek that was moving fairly swiftly due to recent rains causing her vehicle to overturn in the creek.
Posted by CHP - Golden Gate Division Air Operations on Tuesday, January 23, 2024
According to Alameda Fire, the woman tried to drive through the creek around 7:30 p.m. Monday, but she underestimated how deep it was and was running faster than expected causing her car to overturn.
She was stranded for about 15 hours. Rescue crews said she would be OK, but she was still taken to a hospital to be evaluated.
Kelsi Thorud contributed to this report.