Man Rescued After 3 Days Trapped Behind Waterfall in Giant Sequoia National Monument

Rescuers saved a Long Beach man last week after he spent three days trapped in a cave behind a waterfall on an expert canyoneering route in Giant Sequoia National Monument.

On Sunday, 46-year-old Ryan Wardwell and four friends hiked to the Seven Teacups, a series of granite bowls connected by waterfalls along the Kern River. While the group had planned to descend the technical route together, Wardwell’s companions decided it was too dangerous for their skill level. They urged him to turn back, but he pressed on alone.

The group left a note on his car instructing anyone who saw it still parked on Monday to call 911. When Wardwell failed to return, his friends reported him missing, and the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office launched a search. Aerial crews eventually spotted rappel ropes dangling behind one of the final waterfalls on the route, near a whirlpool known as the “toilet bowl.” Last year, three tourists drowned in the same spot.

By Tuesday morning, drones confirmed Wardwell was alive. A California Highway Patrol helicopter lowered a rescuer into the cave to extract him. The operation lasted several hours, but the actual rescue took less than 10 minutes. Wardwell was reunited with family and treated for minor injuries and dehydration.

Wardwell, an experienced canyoneer, underestimated the Kern River’s force. While rappelling, he lost hold of his ropes and repeatedly failed to escape the waterfall’s powerful eddy. With no wetsuit, he became severely hypothermic and survived by rationing the food he had carried.

Officials warn that while the Seven Teacups has gained popularity online, its strong summer flows make it an extremely hazardous route.