Latest news with #AmericanRiver
CBS News
20-07-2025
- CBS News
Woman dies after she was swept away by American River in Carmichael
A woman who was playing on the edge of the American River in Carmichael died after she was swept away, officials said on Saturday. Sacramento Metro Fire responded to the river near Kiekebusch Court Saturday afternoon after a woman was found floating downstream. Sacramento County Rangers said the woman was not showing any signs of life and was found face down. Rangers brought her aboard their vessel and transported her to the Rossmoor Bar area. Fire crews said she was airlifted to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Rangers said she was a 24-year-old woman who was not wearing a life jacket after she was somehow swept away.
CBS News
16-07-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Survivor recounts near-death experience rafting on American River in Carmichael
A survivor is speaking out about a rafting accident that nearly took her life. It happened along the lower American River, where there have been multiple water rescues so far this year. Romni Neiman is still troubled by a near-death experience. She is hoping her story will encourage other people to stay safe when going in the water. "I've had nightmares of the sound of water rushing around you," Neiman said. She and her partner decided to go floating in intertubes on a sunny day two weeks ago. "We thought we would just glide down," Neiman said. "I did bring paddles so that if we needed to get moving, we could use them." A smiling photo she took at the beginning of the day shows no sign of the danger that was about to occur. The two got caught in a strong current that swept them past the shoreline at Riverbend Park in Carmichael, where they intended to get out. "We just could not get over the current was picking up," Neiman said. The force of the water then carried their inner tubes right into the path of a partially submerged tree. "A floatie with a cooler got sucked down underneath the tree, and since my tube was attached, I went right down with it," Neiman said. Her partner ended up in an even worse spot. "His tube popped on the branches on the end of the tree and he ended up holding on to the very end of the tree, and just a handhold and his legs were getting blown straight back from the current," Neiman said. Some people floating by called 911 and came to help until Sacramento Metro Fire's rescue boat arrived on the scene. Metro Fire Captain Mark Nunez says it's been a busy summer for rescue crews along this stretch of waterway, and he says nearly everyone who needs help isn't properly prepared. "The common denominator with victims is they didn't come down in the right type of raft and they didn't have a life vest," he said. Neiman admits she didn't have a life jacket, and she wants others to learn from her mistake. "Hopefully, other people could hear this and make different decisions," Neiman said. Metro Fire encourages people to rent or purchase a raft with multiple air chambers, and they say free loaner life jackets are available at many parks along the American Ramos contributed to this report.
CBS News
05-07-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Nearly a dozen rescued from American River in Carmichael as many celebrated Fourth of July
Several rescued from American River in Carmichael on Fourth of July Several rescued from American River in Carmichael on Fourth of July Several rescued from American River in Carmichael on Fourth of July Many families celebrated the Fourth of July on local waterways, but nearly a dozen people got caught in strong currents on the American River in Carmichael Friday afternoon. This prompted a large response from police and fire, using two helicopters and multiple boats. "You don't realize how fast the water's going," said Jeffery Solis, a paddleboarder who was rescued from the river. "The current literally washes you underneath," said Megan Cornell, another paddleboarder who was rescued. Cornell and Solis were just two of the paddleboarders pulled from the waterway by park rangers and fire boats on the Fourth of July. "It looks calm on top, but underneath it's a different monster. All of a sudden you get caught on a tree and you need rescuing. You don't expect it, it's wild," Solis said. "You're trying to swim against the branches and the current just swoops you in and sucks you under," Cornell said. "It happened within a second," said Ray Villaovos, a rafter who was rescued. Villalovos was with a different group, floating in rafts tied together, when they hit an underwater snag and started to sink. "The other two boats got dragged underwater a couple of our friends got dragged underwater and got rescued," Villalovos said. He said they weren't expecting the current to be this strong. "It's scary how quick it happens," Villalovos said. The Lower American River is running faster than normal. Water releases out of Folsom Dam are now around 5,300 cfs, more than double what it was just three days ago. "It was very cold, very rapid, the water was going quick," Cornell said. "You just have to breathe and make sure you don't panic," Solis said. Solis admits he wasn't wearing a life jacket, a mistake he won't make again. "I'm definitely going to have a life jacket next time I come out here," Solis said.
CBS News
09-06-2025
- CBS News
Pool raft no match for dangerous American River rapids, sheriff's office says
Two people found themselves needing to be rescued after their inflatable vessel hit dangerous rapids along the South Fork of the American River over the weekend. The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office says rescue crews were called out to the notorious "Meatgrinder" rapid area of the river on Sunday. Two friends were reported to have been stranded after their vessel, a swimming pool raft, had hit several rocks on the rapids and started deflating. The people were visiting from out of the area, deputies say. On Sunday, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office received a call for assistance from two subjects who were stranded on... Posted by El Dorado County Sheriff's Office on Monday, June 9, 2025 Deputies, a Cal Fire crew, and county parks river patrol units all responded to help in the rescue. After giving the friends some safety gear, the pair was taken to safety. The Meatgrinder stretch of the South Fork of the American River is rated as a Class III+ rapid, an intermediate difficulty level that requires a craft specifically designed for whitewater rafting.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Four adults, one child stuck on an island along American River
( — The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department responded to five people stuck on an island along the American River on Saturday afternoon. According to Metro Fire, the incident happened on 1291 ARP in Carmichael at around 4:30 p.m. Five people were stranded after one of their rafts got snagged on a tree and popped. Strong gun laws in California yield lowest gun deaths rates, Newsom says There are four adults and one child involved, Metro Fire said. The age is unknown at this time. No injuries were reported after crews made contact with the rafters, and they were all assisted back to shore. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
