A woman drowned and eight people were rescued in separate operations today (Thursday) in Corona stemming from the deluge impacting the region, and Stormwater has washed away a large section of state Route 243 in Idyllwild, opening a major sinkhole and rendering the road impassable. Those are just the latest incidents in a day where heavy rainfall across the region caused mere headaches for some, and havoc for others.
One Person Drowns, Eight Rescued in Corona
A woman drowned and eight people were rescued in separate operations today in Corona stemming from the deluge impacting the region.
According to Corona Fire Department Capt. David Johnson, the rescue operations all took place in the early and midmorning hours in or near the Prado Reservoir, into which the Santa Ana River, Chino Creek and various storm channels flow.
The fatality involved a woman who had been with her boyfriend, huddled in a concrete stormwater channel beneath La Sierra Avenue, just off of the Riverside (91) Freeway in Riverside, according to Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback.
``It's just a tragedy,'' Railsback told City News Service. ``They were transients, most likely taking shelter from the rain. They were swept away and ended up in Corona.''
He said the victims became separated while floating downstream in the channel. An employee at Monster Energy Corp. at Crouse Drive and Sampson Avenue in Corona, overlooking the channel, heard the man screaming for help and called 911, according to Railsback.
``Corona Fire Department crews extricated the male, and he was telling them to look for his girlfriend,'' he said. ``They found her unconscious a short time later, floating toward the Prado Reservoir near Auburndale Street.''
The woman was in full cardiac arrest, and firefighters attempted to resuscitate her en route to Corona Regional Medical Center, but she was pronounced dead on arrival, according to Railsback.
Johnson said Corona firefighters were assisted during the rescue operations by crews from the city of Riverside, Riverside County, Anaheim and Chino.
HWY 243 Between Banning And Idyllwild Impassable, Likely Closed For Weeks
Stormwater has washed away a large section of state Route 243 in
Idyllwild, opening a major sinkhole and rendering the road impassable.
Riverside County officials are urging residents in Idyllwild, Mountain Center
and Pine Cover to shelter in place due to the ``deteriorating road conditions''
in the area.
Caltrans District 8 spokeswoman Terri Kasinga says at least three
sections of state Route 243 between Banning and Idyllwild have been
compromised because of storm runoff, and transportation engineers are now
inspecting a fourth section that also may be on the verge of collapse. The
mountain highway is closed to through traffic and likely will be for the rest
of the month, Kasinga says.
