HARRIS COUNTY – A 15-year-old is safe and back with his family Wednesday night after he fell into a fast-moving creek. He was rescued by a Swiftwater rescue team from Cypress Creek’s Fire Station 22.
Firefighters were told he was not a very good swimmer, so they knew they had to act even faster.
Around 6:15 p.m., firefighters responded near the 12600 block of Maxwell Road after someone spotted the teen hanging onto a branch in the middle of Little Cypress Creek.
Firefighters had trouble locating him but once they did they launched a swift water rescue team using an inflatable boat. When they reached the teen he was hanging onto that branch in 10-feet of water.
“The current was going pretty good. With the recent rains, and also with the construction in the area back there, they’ve done some dredging and whatnot,” said District Chief Jason Corthell. “It’s really heightened the hazards back there. And so, I think that’s what happened is it’s in the back of a neighborhood. Kids tend to want to be curious and play, go into that water, and when they do stuff like this happens.”
The teen had been holding onto that branch for about 20 minutes, submerged in water up to his shoulders when he was rescued.