Two Chapman University students – a 22-year old man and a 20-year old woman – were transported to UCI Medical Center in Orange after climbing their way out of the Santa Ana riverbed between the 22 freeway and the Memory overpass early Saturday morning, Orange Police Department spokesman Lt. Fred Lopez said.

Police received a call with a report of a vehicle in the riverbed and people possibly drowning at 12:49 a.m., Lopez said.

Officers located the woman between the 22 and Memory overpass. She said she had been inner-tubing down the riverbed with the man, who was located a few minutes later just north of the overpass.

“Both subjects had been able to get out of the riverbed themselves,” Lopez said. “Even though multiple fire units had been dispatched to the area along with the OC Sheriff’s helicopter, for the potential of a swift water rescue, neither subject required any assistance getting out of the water.”

The man, who suffered abrasions all over his body and said he had swallowed a significant amount of water, had been drinking, but was not intoxicated. He was transported to UCI by ambulance because he was having difficulty breathing.

The woman had not been drinking and rode in the ambulance, but did not request medical attention, Lopez said.

Both students reside at Panther Village at Chapman University. The school’s public safety office was notified of the incident, Lopez said.

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