Little boy rescued after being swept away in rain-flooded Santa Ana River

A little boy who got too close to the rain-flooded Santa Ana River in Santa Ana was rescued Sunday after getting swept away, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.

Officials got the call around 2:05 p.m. from the area of Fairview Street and the Santa Ana Riverbed, fire officials wrote on Twitter. The boy’s father went into the water to try to rescue him but wasn’t able to. Fire officials did not release the boy’s age or other details about why he was near the river.

A bystander spotted the child floating down the river and rescued the boy, according to authorities. A Swift Water Rescue response was launched; the boy was treated by paramedics and transported to a hospital in stable condition.

“While we have a break from the rain, there is or may still be water flowing in waterways throughout Orange County,” fire officials wrote on Twitter. “We strongly recommend everyone stay clear. It doesn’t take a lot of water to wash people downriver where there are many dangerous hazards.”

Storms doused California last week, causing flooding and power outages across Northern and Central California. Southern California is expected to see more rain this week with the next atmospheric river storm.