Man falls from tree in Fresno river bottom while rescuing cat
A Fresno man fell from a tree in the San Joaquin River bottom near Riverside Golf Course while trying to save a cat. Firefighters took him to the hospital.
Fresno firefighters rescued a man after he fell from a tree in the San Joaquin River bottom near Riverside Golf Course while trying to save a cat. Crews were called just before 3:30 p.m. Sunday and took the injured man to the hospital.
The Fresno Fire Department said the rescue unfolded in the San Joaquin River bottom, a difficult stretch of terrain where responders often have to work around uneven ground and limited access. Getting the injured man out of that area became the priority after the fall.
The call fit a familiar pattern in Fresno. Firefighters have been sent before for cats stuck in trees, including one rescue in which a cat was reported to be about 25 feet up for several days. In a separate 2025 case in North Hills, firefighters rescued a man after he tried to save a cat from a tree and fell himself.
Fresno’s river bottom has also seen repeated emergency response beyond tree rescues. In March, firefighters rescued two people from the San Joaquin River near Highway 41 after reports that they were yelling for help. Sunday’s rescue added another reminder that the river-bottom landscape can turn a basic animal rescue into a human injury fast, especially when someone climbs into a tree and then has to find a way back down from unstable ground.
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