In 1992, Ventura County agencies had several rescues involving firefighters. One
such incident occurred when a lieutenant became trapped in midstream. Another
happened when a hovercraft flipped and washed away during flood operations along the
Ventura River.
By 1995, both city and county departments had trained some members in
swiftwater rescue. Ventura County Fire Department had sent one member to become a
swiftwater rescue instructor. As the result, every city firefighter, a large number of
county firefighters, and members of the Sheriffs aviation unit and rescue team had been
trained to at least swiftwater first responder level.
As in 1992, the Ventura River again in 1995 was the hot spot with trailer homes
needing to be evacuated. Even though they had been warned earlier to evacuate,
homeless people along the river needed to be rescued. On January 10, 1995 Captain
Myles Smith of the Ventura City Fire Department used his swiftwater training to make a
swimming rescue of a victim who was trapped in a debris pile and in imminent danger of
being pulled under and drowned. Putting him in a special river rescue jacket, Captain
Smith swung the victim on a rope to shore near other rescuers.
Shortly afterwards the calls for rescues started in earnest. By the end of the day,
combined air and ground units had rescued more than 35 people and half a dozen dogs
and cats. There was only one human fatality.
Protracted operations for rescuers continued in the small bedroom community of
La Conchita. As a hillside behind the homes become more unstable, residents were
evacuated. Nine homes were destroyed by mud and sliding earth. Initial geology reports
indicated that all of the remaining homes might have to be condemned, but homeowners
were later allowed to return.
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