A firefighter driving his department vehicle was swept into the ocean in Malibu when caught by a wild mudslide as fire-ravaged sections of Los Angeles were pounded by a powerful rain storm.
The damaged white Los Angeles Fire Department SUV was seen trapped in the water after being pushed down a beachside hill by debris caught up in the cascade of rain, as seen in video shared by ABC News on Friday.
A visibly shaken fire department worker was seen emerging safely and climbing back up the hill.
“Fortunately, the member was able to exit his vehicle and reach safety with minor injuries. He was transported to a local hospital as a precaution,” spokesperson Erik Scott told the outlet.
Burn-scarred terrain from last month’s raging wildfires was swamped by the dangerous downpour, which unleashed nearly 6.5 inches of rain in an “atmospheric river” in the area Thursday.
Workers in bulldozers were seen in footage pushing streams of sludge out of roadways as firefighters trudged through nearly waist-deep deluges of muddy water.
Severe thunderstorms with 70 mph wind gusts also hit the county and a possible tornado struck a mobile home park near Oxnard, California, roughly 60 miles from Los Angeles.
Officials issued evacuation warnings in parts of the fire burn zones, including areas devastated by the Palisades and Eaton fires Thursday. All schools in Malibu were also closed on Thursday and Friday.
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