Ryan Wardwell, of Long Beach, Calif., spent two grueling days trapped behind a waterfall known as the Seven Teacups in Springville, Calif. The 46-year-old set out to rappel down, but the extreme hydraulics of the waterfall pushed him off his rappelling lines and trapped him behind a cascade of the Kern River. His failure to return to his car that night prompted local law enforcement to send out a search team using infrared technology and aircraft. Difficult terrain and fading daylight thwarted their efforts the first day, but rescuers found Wardwell the next day after flying a drone behind the cascade. He was alive and conscious when rescuers spotted him. A California State Highway Patrol helicopter crew managed to hoist Wardwell to safety, calling it a “stunning survival story.” He was transported to a hospital, treated for minor injuries and dehydration, and released.
