California teen grateful to be alive following river rescue

RANCHO MURIETA, Calif. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - A California teen is grateful to be alive after being rescued from a rushing river in Sacramento County.

He says he wasn't wearing a life jacket when he and three friends went rafting Monday, and that was a big mistake.

"My adrenaline was kicking in. I was gripping that thing for dear life," said 18-year-old Troy Luna Jr.

Luna clutches onto a tree while trapped in the wild waters of the Cosumnes River. Footage captured showed Luna being rescued.

Thankful to be alive

The Rancho Murieta teen said it's not a position he ever expected to be in and he's thankful to be alive.

"I'm glad I was fine, and that tree was stable, but like...If it wasn't, I wouldn't be here and I don't think anybody should be doing that either because, I could have died, and I don't want to die," Luna expressed.

Luna says he and three other friends were rafting when the current suddenly took him down stream. He somehow grabbed onto a tree, but was not wearing a life jacket.

"I started screaming, 'Help me' like really loud," Luna spoke.

Safely brought to shore

Neighbors said three that people golfing nearby called 911 around 4:30pm Monday.

Rescue crews with the Sacramento Metro, Cosumnes, and Folsom Fire Departments got to the water and threw Luna a rope.

With the help of rescue swimmers, Luna was safely brought to shore, just over an hour later, with only a few scratches.

"My leg was hurting, but luckily I didn't come out with anything bad," Luna described.

Numb, but relieved

Officials say because of the snow melt right now, waterways across the region, including the Cosumnes River, are really dangerous. And if you're stuck in fast moving waters, things can get dicey real quick.

"I was like, it'll change on a dime and you won't know what to do," said Jeny Ryon, Luna's mother.

Ryon says she warned him not to go into the river. While she felt numb, Ryon was relieved that her son survived saying, "I'm glad he's safe. I mean, I don't think there's anything else in the world that I could have ever wanted more was to make sure that all my kids are going to be at home tonight sleeping in their beds," Ryon exclaimed.

Luna has a message for others: "Don't be an idiot. Don't be like me. Listen to your parents. Do not go in the water."