The Los Angeles County Fire Department rescued an unidentified woman who was swept about nine miles down San Jose Creek during heavy storms on Dec. 24. She was first seen near Fullerton Road at 1:50 p.m., and search crews located her at Workman Mill Road after an extensive downstream search. The creek was shallow but fast, with flow estimated at 8–10 mph; she was taken to a hospital and her condition has not been released. The rescue took place amid an atmospheric river that prompted a state of emergency in Southern California.
Woman Rescued After Being Carried About 9 Miles Down San Jose Creek During Christmas Eve Storm
Apu GOMES / AFP via GettyRain in Los Angeles, Calif. on Dec. 24, 2025
A Los Angeles woman was rescued after being swept roughly nine miles down San Jose Creek amid heavy rain and fast-moving runoff on Wednesday, Dec. 24, officials said.
Rescue Details
According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD), the unidentified woman was first reported in the creek near Fullerton Road along the 60 Freeway at about 1:50 p.m. Fire crews arrived roughly 17 minutes later but could not locate her at that initial spot. Fire trucks and a search helicopter followed the creek downstream and ultimately found and rescued her at Workman Mill Road, about nine miles from where she was first seen.
Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via GettyThe Santa Clara River in Filmore, Calif. on Dec. 24, 2025
On-Scene Conditions
LACFD spokesperson Pauline McGee said the creek was approximately 2 feet deep at the time and the current was estimated at 8–10 miles per hour. Video published by local outlets showed firefighters lifting the woman onto a stretcher before transporting her to a hospital; authorities have not released her medical condition or how she entered the water.
"She went downstream for a while," LACFD spokeswoman Pauline McGee told reporters regarding the woman's movement in the creek.
Storm Context and Public Safety
The rescue occurred as Southern California was hit by an atmospheric river bringing heavy rain, prompting the U.S. Weather Prediction Center to warn of a moderate risk of excessive rainfall, numerous flash-flood events, and potential impacts to larger rivers. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Dec. 24 for Los Angeles County and other southern California counties, citing flood, landslide and mudslide risks—especially in areas still recovering from last year’s wildfires.
Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via GettyFlooding in Oxnard, Calif. on Dec. 24, 2025
Officials also reported multiple weather-related deaths elsewhere in the state, including a motorist killed in a crash in South Sacramento and a 61-year-old man in San Diego who died after part of a tree fell on him during high winds. Emergency services continue to monitor conditions as heavy rain and runoff create ongoing hazards for residents and motorists.
PEOPLE and local outlets including the Los Angeles Times and The Guardian covered the incident; the LACFD confirmed the rescue but did not provide additional medical details.
