BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — At least one person was swept away in the Kern River near Hart Park on Thursday evening, according to an eyewitness.
Kern County search and rescue personnel were seen searching in the area of River and Bison roads for a person in the river, and Kern County deputies were also in the area just before 6 p.m. An Eyewitness News crew captured footage of the response.
Alan Castillo was at the park during the incident.
“Three guys were coming down the river on a tube, and had fallen off. One of the guys went under the water, came back up, and went back down again. All I saw was his hand after that,” he said.
Castillo said he saw one of the men grab onto a tree to stay on land. He said that they would never swim in the river due to the danger.
“You always hear about it. To happen in front of me is crazy,” he said. Castillo mentioned that no one among at least a dozen people in the water was wearing a life vest.
Calls to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office were not immediately returned.
This story is developing and will be updated once more information is provided.