5 Water Rescues Keep Sacramento Fire Crews Busy

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Heavy rains and high rising water kept Sacramento Fire Department busy responding to five water rescues in four hours.

"Thank you guys so very much," said Ursula after firefighters brought her to shore.

The rescue boat was a welcome sight for a relieved Jose Blanco.

His girlfriend Ursula was stuck at their encampment behind Cal Expo.

"I was scared a little. Of course I was scared," he said.

Emergency crews say the water rose too fast.

"He left to get supplies and when he came across (the river) it was ankle deep and when he came back it was up to his shoulders," said Captain Chris Swarbrick with Sac Fire.

Less than an hour earlier, crews were called to rescue another man stranded by rising waters at Northgate Boulevard.

He was brought back by boat and taken to the hospital.

"He was honestly clinging onto a couple of branches. He had a couple of minutes that might have been about it and just barely hanging on," he said.

Firefighters say these homeless camp rescues are a common occurrence when the rivers rise.

Park rangers have been warning people along the river for days, but folks like Jose say they just had nowhere else to go.

The river is forecasted to run at this level through Friday.