Hiker trapped for 2 days behind Kern River waterfall

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A man was rescued Tuesday after being trapped behind a Kern River waterfall for nearly two days.

On Sunday evening, 46-year-old Ryan Wardwell of Long Beach hiked up to the top of the “Seven Teacups” waterfalls near the North Fork of the Kern River. Wardwell said he had planned to rappel down the falls.

When Monday came and he still had not returned to his car, his family reported him missing.

An extensive search of the area, using aircraft equipped with a camera and infrared technology, identified Wardwell’s possible location. However, because of fading daylight and difficult terrain, a rescue plan was developed to respond at first light the following morning.

At dawn, the TCSO Swiftwater-Dive Rescue Team and Search and Rescue teams began the search. As they combed the area, a drone was deployed to check behind a large waterfall.

That’s when Wardwell was found, alive and responsive.

A CHP helicopter was called in to hoist Wardwell to safety. He was treated for minor injuries and dehydration and then reunited with family members who were on scene.

Wardwell told deputies that the extreme hydraulics of the river trapped him behind the waterfall after he removed his rappel lines.