Passersby Rush to Save 6-Year-Old From River

Several people helped save a 6-year-old girl after she fell into the Anacostia River Friday afternoon.

The region saw a month's worth of rain fall within a 24 hour period this week, causing choppy conditions along the river in Riverdale Park.

The girl was playing with friends by the northeast branch of the river just after 6 p.m. out of her mom's sight. She got down on the ground by the rocks, then slipped and fell into the water. 

Hilda Navarro was with her young son at the time, spotted the girl fall in and immediately screamed for help.

A man riding his bike attempted to help, but cut his hand on the rocks by the river, so he and Navarro continued yelling for help.

Jason Torres was driving by the river at the time when he heard the screams. Torres told News4 he didn't think -- he said he just jumped in and grabbed the girl, who was unconscious.

"He jumped in and grabbed her, I told him to bring her over because I know CPR," Navarro explained. "So I gave her CPR and she started throwing up all that water that she drank, and then she started screaming [for her mom]."

The girl was sitting up and alert by the time Prince George's County emergency crews arrived.

"A citizen out of the goodness in his heart decides to step up and basically tries to save a young girl's life," Capt. Roland Berg with Prince George's County Fire and EMS said. "She could have been swept downstream much further than she [was]."

The girl was taken to a hospital as a precaution and should be okay. Officials are warning residents around the region, long after the rain has passed, river levels continue to rise and cause a safety risk.

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