Man clinging to tree rescued from San Diego River

MISSION VALLEY (KUSI) — A man who became stranded in the San Diego River in Mission Valley was rescued Saturday afternoon without injury by firefighters and lifeguards, according to authorities.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department’s Swift Water Rescue Team responded shortly after 12:30 p.m. to Avenida Del Rio near Camino de la Reina behind the Fashion Valley mall, according to Capt. Joe Amador. That’s where they found a man clinging to a tree about 20 feet from the river’s edge, Amador said.

The man, who was not identified, was rescued by 1 p.m. The ambulance and paramedics who had responded to the rescue were canceled. It was not clear how the man became stranded in the middle of the river.