Trying to rescue child from Clear Creek, man swept into gorge

June 4, 2020 Trevor Montgomery

REDDING, Calif. — Trying to rescue a child from the fast-moving currents of Clear Creek in Redding, a Red Bluff man was swept downstream into a narrow and treacherous section of whitewater within Clear Creek Gorge Wednesday afternoon, June 3.

Although the child eventually managed to safely exit the water, the man became stranded on a large boulder after he somehow managed to pull himself from the water, where he waited for rescuers.

He was eventually hoisted from his precarious position by a CHP helicopter that responded to the emergency.

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Emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene shortly before 3 p.m., after SHASCOM received a call reporting that a man was stranded on a rock in the middle of Clear Creek Gorge, south of clear Creek Rd., Shasta County Sheriff’s Boating Safety Unit Sgt. Rob Sandbloom later reported.

Based on the circumstances, Cal Fire, AMR, and Shasta County Sheriff’s Dive Team, along with Search and Rescue Volunteer Dive Team members, responded to the emergency. California Highway Patrol’s Air Ops was also requested and chopper H-16 responded to the location.

Matthew Ramey, 38, of Red Bluff, waits to be rescued in Clear Creek Gorge after being swept downstream by Clear Creek’s swift-moving currents. He had been attempting to rescue a child when he found himself needing to be rescued. Shasta County Sheriff’s Office photo

When officials arrived they eventually found 38-year-old Matthew Ramey stranded on a boulder within the gorge.

Due to the strength of the dangerous currents and high, vertical rock walls on either side of the gorge, Ramey told rescuers he was not able to make it back to the shore without assistance.

After assessing the situation, officials formulated a rescue plan at which time the CHP helicopter was able to hoist Ramey off the rock and ferry him back to shore, where he was reunited with his group.

He was checked out by medical staff at the scene and other than some abrasions was found to be OK.

Officials later learned Ramey was swimming in Clear Creek with several other adults and juveniles when he spotted one of the children from his group beginning to struggle in the fast moving water, according to Sandbloom; who said neither the child or Ramey were wearing life vests.

Rescuers talk to Ramey, while formulating a plan to safely extract the stranded man. Shasta County Sheriff’s Office photo

Believing the juvenile, whose name and age were not released, was about to be swept downstream into the gorge, Ramey jumped into the water to save the child.

After entering the water and swimming toward the struggling youth, Ramey soon found himself being washed downstream into the gorge by the dangerous and swift-moving currents.

Although the juvenile was able to make it to shore on their own, “Ramey went through some of the fast-moving whitewater before he was able to grab onto a rock in the middle of the creek and pull himself … on top of the rock”, where he waited for help to arrive, explained Sandbloom.

The stranded, would-be rescue was eventually hoisted from the rock where he sat after attempting to help a child that was struggling in the creek’s swift-moving currents. Les Potter photo

“Clear Creek near the gorge has some rapids with fast-moving whitewater,” Sandbloom explained after the successful rescue; adding, “The gorge has high vertical rock walls that you cannot climb out of the water from.”

“It can be very dangerous in the rapids with fast-moving water and large jagged rocks,” Sandbloom continued; while reminding citizens to always wear a life jacket when on or near the water.

The rescue was the second of two to happen in the Redding area on Wednesday. The other incident involved a 4-year-old autistic girl who tumbled 70 feet down a steep and dangerous cliff overlooking the Sacramento River.

Officers who raced down the rocky embankment found the girl suspended in mid air and entangled in the thick berry bushes of the dangerous embankment. Firefighters then had to rescue one of the officers and little girl, who sustained minor injuries in her fall.

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Trevor Montgomery, 48, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, (the now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 29 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 16 grandchildren.