Swift Water Legends

We're joined by LAFD Captain Donald "Dilly" Dillenberger, Pilot Joel Smith, & Firefighter Alex Salas. These guys were the 1st in Truck Company (Truck 73) on a man trapped in a vertical storm channel during a torrential downpour in May of 2015. These guys rush to find a guy hanging onto a wood plank for dear life with water rushing by at 25-30 mph. Firefighter Salas throws the guy a rope from a distance, in the pouring rain, over a fence, down in the river, and hits the guy square in the chest just as he loses his grip on the plank. They then attempt a rescue that is not advised in any manual, has not been attempted before, and is not practiced. They have to save a man trapped in a storm channel with completely vertical walls, NO rescue or access point, in rising, freezing, rapid water, in pouring rain, with no stable anchor points to tie off a rope. Firefighter Smith puts a harness on Dilly, who says an epic line and jumps in the storm channel and grabs the guy. Now the rest of the guys have to get Dilly and the victim out, with no time to spare, and the freezing water raging on both of them. Here's where the story really gets crazy & has roof ladders being lowered, & Smith almost falling in. We have audio clips from the incident (and video) & Dilly gives great insight into the Swift Water rescue plan and system within LAFD. Including the incident that set the whole plan in motion. We also learn why teamwork and knowing every part of your job as a firefighter is important.