Four Rescued by Helicopter After SUV Swept Away in Arizona Flash Flood
Severe thunderstorms caused Wet Beaver Creek to rise nearly four feet, leading to a life-threatening situation for stranded individuals.
Four people were dramatically rescued by helicopter in Rimrock, Arizona, on Thursday after heavy rains from severe thunderstorms caused Wet Beaver Creek to swell by nearly four feet. The swift and powerful currents swept a white SUV downstream, leaving its four occupants stranded on the vehicle's roof.
An Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue Unit helicopter was dispatched to the scene. Viral video footage captured the tense moments as a rescuer was lowered from the helicopter to reach one of the individuals trapped on the submerged vehicle. The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies responded to the incident around 3:15 p.m. near East Dragonshead Road and Culpepper Ranch Road, where they found the vehicle had been carried downstream by the rapidly rising water.
Deputies located the stranded individuals and their vehicle approximately 150 feet downstream. After relaying the exact GPS coordinates to the DPS Ranger helicopter, the crew was able to conduct an aerial extraction, safely rescuing all four occupants. The National Weather Service confirmed that repeated heavy rainfall from the thunderstorms was responsible for the dangerous flash flooding conditions in Yavapai County.