Gila Herald Staff Reports
FORT THOMAS — A dramatic early-morning rescue unfolded near North Fort Thomas River Road and West U.S. Highway 70 on Saturday, Oct. 24, after rapidly rising floodwaters trapped four individuals and a 9-year-old child on top of a vehicle.
Emergency dispatchers received a call just before 6 a.m. reporting that a truck and trailer had become stranded in roughly six feet of floodwater. As the current intensified, the water level rose above the truck bed, shifting the vehicle and prompting the occupants to climb onto the roof and a utility vehicle to escape the swirling current.
First responders from multiple agencies were immediately mobilized, including the Graham County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Thomas Fire Rescue (FTFR), Thatcher Fire Department, and regional Search and Rescue (SAR) swift-water teams. The Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS Ranger) also placed an aerial rescue helicopter on standby, and Lifeline Ambulance was requested to stage nearby for potential hypothermia treatment.
According to Graham County Dispatch notes, responders arrived to find the group roughly 80 to 100 yards out in the water. Because high-voltage power lines hung close to the vehicle and the current was swift, standard ladder trucks could not reach the stranded parties.
Search and Rescue personnel deployed a rescue boat shortly before 7 a.m. Rescuers made physical and verbal contact with the group and brought everyone safely to shore by approximately 7:31 a.m.
No injuries were reported during the incident, and responders evaluated all involved parties at the scene.
