Person out gold panning rescued after being swept away in Mokelumne River
WEST POINT – A person who was out gold panning in California's historic Gold Country was rescued after he went missing along the cold and fast-flowing Mokelumne River.
The Calaveras County Sheriff's Office says the incident happened back on the evening of May 1.
Deputies say the person was reported missing along the North Fork of the Mokelumne River near the community of West Point. Rescuers say this season's historic rain and snow had the river running fast.
With nightfall approaching, and the fact much of the river's shoreline in the area consisted of near-vertical slopes, rescuers called in air support from the California Highway Patrol and the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office.
Soon, search crews spotted someone on the Calaveras County side of the river. It was the lost gold panner, who was about 4-5 miles downstream of where he was last seen.
Amador County Search and Rescue Team's river raft was deployed and they soon got to the person – who was extremely cold and had suffered some injuries, albeit non-life-threatening ones.
The person was ferried across the river using a rope system, and was then taken by ambulance to the hospital.
Authorities say the incident is an important reminder for people to avoid entering rivers and streams at the moment, since the historic rain and snow means the water is running fast and high.
