Woman rescued from surging LA River after trying to recover friend's phone

Woman rescued from LA River

A woman fell into the LA River in Studio City after she went into the water trying to recover a friend's phone. She was eventually air lifted out.

LOS ANGELES - A woman was pulled out of the Los Angeles River in Studio City Sunday, after she allegedly went into the water to pull out the phone her friend had dropped.

It happened around 5 p.m., off of Laurel Canyon Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

A friend told FOX 11 that the victim was only trying to help her friend out before she was swept away.

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"I dropped my phone, and she went in to go get it and then the water came out of nowhere and pushed her down," she said.

Despite the water in the river being "less than knee depth," according to the LAFD, it was moving around 15 mph. The water had been quickened by a sudden storm in the area. The victim's friend said she was swept away in a matter of seconds.

Rescue crews said the woman was taken downstream and was able to briefly stand up before being swept away again. Firefighters tried to throw her a flotation vest, and even lowered a wooden ladder down the wall of the river. She grabbed onto the ladder, but wasn't able to hold on for long.

The LAFD eventually sent in a rescue swimmer to pull the woman out. She was lifted into the rescue helicopter and brought to a local hospital.

While the department said the woman will be treated for minor injuries including hypothermia, her friend told FOX 11 that she's "okay."

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