San Diego Fire-Rescue crews. (Photo courtesy of San Diego Fire-Rescue)
San Diego County fire and law enforcement crews carried out two flood-related rescues Thursday as heavy rains swelled waterways across the region on New Year’s Day.
In Escondido, San Diego County Fire personnel rescued a woman who was swept into a creek flowing into Lake Hodges, sheriff’s officials said.
Deputies were dispatched about 8:10 a.m. after a man reported that he and his wife had attempted to cross a low-water crossing near the roadway and were knocked off their feet by fast-moving water. The man was able to reach shore and call for help, but the woman was carried downstream. A San Diego Fire-Rescue helicopter later located her and she was taken to a hospital. Both were reunited and reported in stable condition.
A few hours later, lifeguards rescued a man trapped by rising water under a bridge in Mission Valley. Fire crews and a lifeguard swift-water rescue team responded about 11:16 a.m. to reports of a man stuck in waist-high water beneath state Route 163, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue spokeswoman Candace Hadley. He was extricated and transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
View from Metropolitan Transit System bus route blocked by floods in Mission Valley. (Video by Adrian Childress/Times of San Diego)
The National Weather Service issued a river flood warning for the San Diego River in Mission Valley through Friday.
Widespread rain has moved out of the area, and Flood Advisories have ended. Continue to heed any road closures! A River Flood Warning is out for the San Diego River in Mission Valley through tomorrow, as the river remains elevated & is affecting nearby roads & parking lots.
— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) January 1, 2026
Sheriff’s officials urged the public to avoid flooded areas, noting that just six inches of fast-moving water can be life-threatening, and reminded residents: “Turn around, don’t drown.”
City News Service contributed to this article.
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