TEMPE, AZ — A man has been rescued from a tree over fast-moving water in the Salt River east of Tempe Town Lake after being stuck for hours.
The rescue began around 11 a.m. after a passerby reported hearing screams near the Loop 101 and Loop 202 junction.
A helicopter hoisted the man from the tree over water that was 8-14 feet deep, Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Assistant Chief of Operations Joe Escontrias said.
The man, believed to be a homeless individual who had been living in the riverbed, told first responders he had been trapped in the tree since around midnight.
Other people's attempts to help him before first responders arrived were unsuccessful. Nearby trees cracked and fell during the rescue, and the man was fatigued, Escontrias said. The man was walking, talking and appeared to be in "good spirits" as crews transported him onto a stretcher.
