VICTIMS:  3 MALES, 1 FEMALE AGES 15, 16, 17 AND 19 YEARS-OLD

 

 

SUMMARY:

On Monday, January 18^th, 2010, Deputies of the Victorville Police Station were dispatched to a report of four people trapped in a storm drain, hanging on a ladder that leads to a manhole cover.  The reporting party stated they were in a tunnel, not certain of their location, but believed they were near 8^th and B St.

 

Deputies arrived to the area but were unable to locate the victims.  Deputies implemented a plan to have one deputy at a time drive through the area at a slow rate of speed with their sirens on. Meanwhile dispatch had the victims report by cell phone when the siren got closer.  The victims reported they were having a hard time hanging on.  Deputy James Snow located the area where the juveniles would likely wash out of the drain if they lost their hold and directed the fire department to the location to formulate a rescue plan if that occurred.

 

Finally, at approximately 2:47 p.m. Deputy Vanessa Duardo was driving slowly with her siren on, turned it off and heard the victim's cries for help.  She stopped her car and alerted the other deputies in the area.  They listened carefully and located the victims under a bolted down manhole cover at 8^th St. near A St.  Deputies flagged down a South West Gas Company truck that was passing by and obtained a wrench that would free the victim's from beneath the manhole cover.

 

The victim's ages 19, 17, 16 and 15 years-old were checked by AMR and found to be free of injury.  The four victims were hanging onto the ladder that led up to the manhole cover, the person at the top of the ladder was uncomfortably shoved against the manhole cover to give room to the three victims beneath.  The person at the bottom had water rushing way up over their legs.  Deputies reported that had the victims traveled any further into the storm drain there would not have been anything for them to cling to or climb up on and the water was now a 6 ft wall of rushing cold water.

 

These victims were saved as a result of the swift actions and great teamwork by Victorville Police Deputies and Sheriff's Dispatch.  Victorville Police Department would like to remind citizens of Victorville that rains in the High Desert can often cause flash flooding and dangerous roadways.  Please be mindful of the weather conditions when choosing paths and drive a safe speed for conditions.

 

Refer:               Karen Hunt, Media Relations   

Station:             Victorville Police Department

Phone No.        760-241-1841

Case No.         171000784

ROD HOOPS, Sheriff-Coroner

San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department