Atascadero Fire rescued five people and their pets from an island in the swollen Salinas River on Wednesday.
It reportedly happened at about 4:30 p.m. behind the Sycamore Industrial Complex in the 6900 block of Sycamore Rd.
Rescuers used swift water rescue equipment to wade through the water and walk the five people, five dogs and a cat back across the channel to safety.
A helicopter was initially called to assist in the rescue but was not used, according to fire officials.
