At approximately 8:45 AM, Paso Robles Department of Emergency Services responded to the report of a person in distress in the Salinas River just North of the Niblick Bridge.
Firefighters arrived at scene within four minutes to discover a male victim and his dog clinging to a tree. Firefighters were able to throw the subject a personal flotation device until they could swim across the river to rescue him. The victim was assisted back to shore with the help of rescue swimmers.
Simultaneously multiple additional calls came in for people in distress in the river. CHP Helicopter 70 was utilized with one Paso Fire Rescuer and completed six hoist rescues. In addition, rescue swimmers entered the water and performed four rescues. Over the course of four hours ten river rescues were conducted.
Two patients were transported to the hospital for further evaluation and one canine is deceased.
Three fire engines, one heavy rescue, two Chief Officers, Police Department and Public Works Department from Paso Robles responded.
Under the City’s automatic and mutual aid agreements, four fire engines, a heavy rescue and two Battalion Chief’s from CAL FIRE/SLO County, one fire engine and one heavy rescue from Atascadero City Fire, one fire engine from Templeton Fire, one fire engine from San Miguel Fire, two rescue team members from San Luis City Fire, one rescue team member from Cambria Fire, one North County Technical Rescue Team, one San Luis Obispo County Technical Rescue Team, three ambulances from San Luis Ambulance and one CHP helicopter immediately responded to assist.
Additional resources from throughout the county are currently staged in Paso Robles, should any further river rescues occur.
