The dramatic rescue effort was captured from Chopper 6 just after 5:30 p.m. over Collings Lake, New Jersey.
Earlier in the day, the Civic Association said the spillway at Jay's Lake gave way and began flowing into an abandoned cranberry bog down below.
"Even though the community put out caution tape to keep people off of it, a young man decided to go swimming and went over the causeway and got trapped on a tree branch," Jodi Nachman of the Collings Lake Civic Association said.
Resident Kevin Liwolk says he warned the teenager earlier.
"Kid's playing, twenty minutes before, I told him to get away from the edge," Liwolk said.
Liwold says the rescuers had a safety harness around the teen in 15 to 20 minutes of their arrival.
"But he was so scared, he didn't want to let go of the tree," Liwold said.
Finally, rescuers were able to coddle the teen to let go of the tree and they got him to safety.
He was taken to Kennedy Hospital in Washington Township to be treated for minor cuts and bruises.
Meanwhile, the problem at Jay's Lake began when the spillway at Braddock's Lake north of it gave way.
On Monday night, a blood red moon cast its eerie light to the east of the lakes while lightning threatened more rain to the west.
The Collings Lake Civic Association says about the only saving grace is that all of the water is flowing into that abandoned cranberry bog.
Residents of Collings Lake are hoping that is the end of the rain for now.
