June 19, 2017 - The Madera County Sheriff Department reports on Sunday, June 18th, around 10:00 a.m., a group of young men from the Bay Area were hiking near #AngelFalls on #WillowCreek as a part of a graduation trip.

One of the young men, Matthew Salah decided to take a photograph of the waterfalls with his cell phone, and slipped into the water.

He was swept downstream by the current and went over the top two waterfalls before miraculously being forced into a dead tree that was sticking out of a pool below the second waterfall. This tree can be seen in some of the photographs attached to this post.

Salah was able to get himself to dry ground, but had suffered an injury which prevented him from hiking out.

The Madera County #SAR #roperescue team was activated, and with the assistance of #CalFire personnel, was able to extract Salah from the rock he was stuck on, and carry him down the approximate 1 mile trail to a waiting ambulance, which transported him to an area hospital.

Salah is expected to fully recover.

This incident is the second #swiftwater-related rescue on upper Willow Creek this year.

The public is encouraged to take extra care when in the vicinity of rapid-moving water. Angel Falls is a known attraction, but is also a well-known hazard. It is the site of numerous injuries and rescues every year, and has been the location of many fatal accidents. Visitors of this area should be extremely cautious, especially due to this year's increased water levels.
















https://www.facebook.com/MaderaSheriff/videos/1446053162148842/
Source: Madera County Sheriff Department