California man rescued by helicopter after spending two days trapped behind waterfall
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A 46-year-old man was rescued by helicopter after he was trapped for two days behind a waterfall in California. 

Ryan Wardwell of Long Beach was planning to rappel the Seven Teacups waterfalls Sunday evening but became trapped after the water’s strong hydraulics forced him off his climbing lines, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.

On Monday, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a missing man who had last been seen at the top of the waterfall and had not returned to his car. 

The California Highway Patrol was called in and used a helicopter to bring the climber to safety. Wardwell was treated for dehydration and minor injuries before being reunited with relatives, police said.

man rescued by helicopter

“The TCSO Emergency Services Division reminds the public to always be aware of their environment and capabilities, especially when navigating whitewater rivers,” a release says. (Tulare County Sheriff’s Office)

“The TCSO Emergency Services Division reminds the public to always be aware of their environment and capabilities, especially when navigating white-water rivers,” a news release states.

In a similar incident earlier this month, rescuers helped a hiker who fell approximately 25 feet onto rocks at Big Falls, located near Forest Falls in the San Bernardino Mountains.

The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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