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Off-duty officer saves man trapped in whirlpool. Watch dramatic rescue video

The video shows how officer Brent Donley saves the hiker.

Published on: May 12, 2020, 17:23:04 IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By
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An off-duty patrol officer’s quick-thinking has now earned him the title of a hero on the Internet. The officer saved a hiker who got trapped in a whirlpool. The incident took place at Angel Falls near Bass Lake in Madera County, USA. The rescue was caught on camera and later shared on Facebook by California Highway Patrol Fresno. The video has now earned varied comments from people with many praising the officer for his actions.

The image shows the officer (wearing a cap) saving the man. (Facebook/CHP – Fresno)
The image shows the officer (wearing a cap) saving the man. (Facebook/CHP – Fresno)

The department, in the post’s caption narrated the incident in details. They wrote that the off-duty officer Brent Donley was hiking at Angel Falls with his family. When he was alerted about a victim “struggling to keep above water, stuck in the cold and fast moving water,” he quickly sprang into action.

The video shows how Donley saves the hiker. He fails multiple times before finally pulling the man to safety.

Take a look at the heroic rescue video:

With over 1.4 lakh views, the post has gathered close to 2,100 reactions. While the video left some scared, others were happy to witness the heroic rescue.

“He’s lucky he is alive. However people need to realize the ice is melting, the rivers are strong right now. Nobody should be swimming in them,” wrote a Facebook user. “Great job Officer, so glad you were there to help him. You’re a hero,” expressed another. “This is scary,” commented a third. “That man is fortunate Officer Donley was nearby or this story would have a different ending. Thank you Officer Donley for all you do and those that assisted. God bless you,” wrote a fourth.

What do you think of the rescue video?

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More