Police lights red

Athens firefighters on Sunday rescued a 12-year-old girl hanging on to a limb in a creek, an official said.

City of Athens spokesperson Holly Hollman said Athens Fire & Rescue Service received a call at 11:45 a.m. that a girl fell into the creek behind Elmwood Apartments on Elm Street. She had been playing on the bank.

Because of the rain and wind, the current was swift, Hollman said. Battalion Chief Torrey Downs said the water was about 5 feet deep. The girl drifted about 40 yards when she grabbed a limb.

Downs said firefighters used their water rescue gear and created a human chain to pull her from the water.

She was cold and embarrassed, Downs said, but was otherwise all right.