19-year-old man filming video at California’s tallest bridge rescued after his equipment failed

Placer County Sheriff's Office

Placer County emergency responders rescued a 19-year-old man Monday evening dangling from the Foresthill Bridge, California’s tallest, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said.

Two dozen deputies, including the department’s Mountain Rescue Team, and Cal Fire’s Technical Rescue Team responded to the scene after 6:30 p.m. Rescuers made their way onto the catwalk and located the man.

“Through the investigation, it was learned the 19-year-old subject and his 17-year-old friend were filming him swing from the underside of the bridge,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post. “The 19-year-old became stuck, hanging approximately 30 feet from the underside of the catwalk when his equipment failed.”

The man’s friend called 911 after they determined he was stuck and needed rescue.

The Sheriff’s Office lowered a rescuer to the man and helped him to the catwalk. Medic teams evaluated him and he showed no obvious signs of injury.

The man and his friend were then cited for trespassing on state property, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The Foresthill Bridge is California’s tallest bridge at 730 feet, making it the third-tallest in the nation. It spans the North Fork of the American River, several miles northeast of Auburn.