Teen rescued after falling down Bass Lake-area waterfall. How a deputy lifted her to safety
A teenager is safe and a deputy was hailed for his actions in saving the girl after she fell down a waterfall, completing a dramatic May 22 rescue operation near Bass Lake.
“Thanks to Deputy (Jack) Williamson’s quick and selfless actions, and our partners at Sierra Ambulance and CAL FIRE, this complicated rescue had a positive outcome,” Madera County Sheriff Tyson Pogue said in a statement posted on the Sheriff’s Department Facebook page, two days after the rescue.
Deputies received a call about 3 p.m. May 22 regarding a 14-year-old girl who fell along Willow Creek at the Angel Falls Recreation Area during a family hike.
The teen reportedly fell about 50 feet down the waterfall, landing about midway down and injuring her shoulder.
Deputies said Williamson, a reserve deputy trained in search and rescue, rigged up a rope system for himself and the girl. He crawled out on the rock face, got into a pool of roughly neck-deep water, waded over to her, and got them both secured.
Williamson reportedly kept the teen out of the water by putting himself in position to be a barrier and also “offered reassurance and comfort during the entire rescue.”
Next, Williamson bear-hugged the girl and laid on his back and they were pulled up.
A 15-person search and rescue team used specialized SAR equipment to hoist the pair from the pool to safety.
The girl apparently was not hurt beyond the injury to her shoulder. She was evaluated by Sierra Ambulance medical personnel and released to her parents, the Sheriff’s Department post stated.
Another warning of danger around water
It was the latest reminder for people who visit waterways in the Sierra and Valley foothills to exercise caution.
“Though temperatures are warm,” Pogue said, “we urge everyone to use extreme caution around rivers and creeks — rocks are slippery, and the water temperatures can be deadly cold.”
And if someone is in danger, the Sheriff’s Office urges anyone on the scene to call for help and then wait for the professionals.
“During the rescue, there were other members of the public taking great risks crossing the river to try to help,” according to the Facebook post. “At the risk of inadvertently making an already critical situation worse, please wait for trained personnel to arrive on scene.
“With locations such as Angel Falls that are close to parking lots and trails, hikers often have a false sense of security about the level of danger that exists.”
Texas man rescued near Mount Whitney
It was the first of two positive outcomes for rescuers reported over the May 22-23 weekend.
One day later, a Texas man was found after he went missing following a hike to the summit of Mount Whitney, the National Park Service announced.
Rescuers located Edward Lee Alderman, 33, in the vicinity of Timberline Lake, several miles west of the summit. Crews got a little lucky, thanks to a tip from hikers who reported having heard a voice in the vicinity of the lake
Alderman, 33, of Austin, was last seen about 4:15 p.m. May 22 as he was leaving the summit.
This story was originally published May 24, 2021 at 7:14 PM.
