June 3, 2025 – Kern County Sheriff’s Office officials report that on June 2, 2025, at approximately 7:10 p.m., Kern County Sheriff’s Office deputies assigned to Metro Patrol, along with members of the Sheriff's Bakersfield Search and Rescue Team, responded to Hart Park for a report of a teenage female stranded on a tree in the Kern River. The juvenile was not wearing a lifejacket at the time of the incident.

Deputies and Search and Rescue personnel arrived quickly, reached the female, and safely brought her back to shore. She was uninjured and was reunited with her family.

This incident occurred approximately an hour and a half after the Bakersfield Fire Department rescued another female from the same area of the Kern River, highlighting the repeated dangers the river presents.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office reminds the public to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved lifejacket when in or near the Kern River. Despite appearing calm in some areas, the river's cold temperatures, swift currents, and hidden hazards can quickly turn deadly. A properly worn lifejacket can save your life.

Source: Kern County Sheriff’s Office