3 rescued from rushing creek water in Minneapolis

Updated: 10:55 a.m. | Posted: 7:10 a.m.

Three fishermen escaped injury after being trapped by flash flooding Thursday night along Minnehaha Creek in Minneapolis.

The Minneapolis Fire Department reported that the incident happened in Minnehaha Regional Park at about 8 p.m. as strong storms moved across the Twin Cities.

Battalion Chief Bryan Tyner said rescue crews found the three men clinging to a debris gate in a spillway near the point where Minnehaha Creek joins with the Mississippi River. Crews lowered life jackets and rope to the three men so they could secure themselves to the gate as a rope rescue effort was launched.

"We were able to set up a rope system and get them up off of there. They were about 15 feet below where we would be standing at," he said.

Tyner said rescue and medical calls make up almost 80 percent of the fire department's work, so crews were trained to handle the situation. He recommended that people always check the weather forecast before heading out to participate in any water activities.

"It only takes about 6 inches of fast-moving water to sweep a person off of their feet, so it doesn't take very much — and as you can imagine when you get a big thunderstorm and you get a lot of rain at one time, the conditions can change very quickly," he said.