Coast Guard Rescues Man from Napa River

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a man who was swept away while fishing in the Napa River on Tuesday.

The man was fishing with a friend in the American Canyon wetlands and was swept away while trying to find a better fishing spot, Coast Guard Petty Officer Sarah Foster said.

When the man's friend could not find his fishing partner, he called for help. The Coast Guard responded and searched the Napa River for two hours before finding the man clinging to rocks on the shoreline, Foster said.

Shallow water prevented the Coast Guard from reaching him by boat, and a helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco responded. Petty Officer 3rd class Robert Custer was lowered from the helicopter and retrieved the fisherman in a hoist.

He was taken to the Napa County Airport in good health, Foster said. "The rescue was a little different for our crew because we had to be aware of power lines that criss-cross in the vicinity of where the rescue took place," helicopter pilot Lt. Christopher Courtney said.

The American Canyon police and fire departments also responded to the incident.

By Bay City News Service.