DPS Ranger airlifts lost brothers back to Safford
Staff Reports
ARAVAIPA CANYON — Two brothers were safely rescued late Friday evening after their vehicle became stranded in the rocky terrain of Aravaipa Canyon, near the border of Graham and Pinal counties. The rescue, coordinated by the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue (SAR) team with assistance from the Graham County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Public Safety (DPS) Ranger 1 helicopter, unfolded amidst challenging weather conditions and fading daylight.
The ordeal began around 5:45 p.m. when the Graham County Sheriff’s Office received a welfare check request from a man who reported that his brothers’ 2015 blue Nissan Armada was stuck in the rocks near Aravaipa Canyon and Turkey Creek. The man, communicating via satellite text, relayed that his brothers had water and reported no injuries, but their exact location was unclear. Complicating matters, the area was under a severe storm cell, raising concerns about flash flooding, a known hazard in Aravaipa Canyon.
A Graham County deputy, initially out of cell service, promptly requested a standby page for the Graham County SAR team to prepare for a rescue operation in the rugged terrain. By 6 p.m., the deputy made contact with the initial reporting party, who explained that his brothers had attempted to drive through Aravaipa Canyon toward Mammoth, unaware that no easily travelable vehicular route connects the east and west sides of the Galiuro Mountains.
The reporting party informed the deputy that one of his brothers had recently called 911 after being given a ride by a hunter to a hilltop with cell service. However, confusion arose when Graham County dispatch confirmed they had not received his call. Suspecting the call may have reached Pinal County, which covers the west side of the Galiuro Mountains, the deputy coordinated with Pinal County dispatch. They confirmed an active SAR mission for the brothers, based on coordinates provided during the lost brother’s 911 call, placing the brothers near Dudleyville and Mammoth in Pinal County.
Pinal County was handling three simultaneous SAR missions and requested assistance from Graham County. The deputy swiftly mobilized the Graham County SAR team to approach by ground with 4×4 and side-by-side vehicles, while contacting DPS Ranger 1 in Phoenix to request aerial support. The helicopter crew agreed to fly to the coordinates and search for the stranded brothers.
By 8:54 p.m., the Ranger 1 crew located the lost brothers, landed, and guided them to the helicopter. The brothers, residents of the Safford area, were airlifted to the Safford Regional Airport 1LT Duane Spalsbury Field, where Graham County SAR members met them at approximately 10:20 p.m. to provide transportation home.
The brothers were reported to be in good health following their rescue, with no injuries requiring medical attention. The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office and Graham County Sheriff’s Office commended the teamwork that led to the successful outcome.
