Five children among 9 relatives killed in Arizona flash flood

Five children were among the nine people killed in a flash flood at an Arizona swimming hole during the weekend, and all were part of an extended family, authorities said Monday.

Three generations of the family were gathered Saturday at the swimming spot about 100 miles northeast of Phoenix, police said. Torrential rains in the fire-scarred mountains miles away unleashed 6-foot-high floodwaters darkened by ash from an earlier wildfire and swept away the victims, who ranged in age from 3 to 57.

Searchers looked Monday for a 27-year-old man who was the only person still missing from the group of 14 family members who gathered at the normally tranquil swimming hole in the Tonto National Forest north of Payson. Authorities initially had said they were looking for a 13-year-old boy but later discovered he was among the victims and the older man was missing.

About 40 volunteer workers and four search dogs were looking for the man, Gila County Sheriff J. Adam Shepherd said.

Disa Alexander was hiking to the swimming area where Ellison Creek and East Verde River converge Saturday when the water suddenly surged. Video she posted to social media showed torrents of water surging through jagged canyons carved in Arizona’s signature red rock.

She spotted a man holding a baby and clinging to a tree. Nearby, his wife was also in a tree. A boy Alexander described as the couple’s son was on the rocks above the water.

Alexander and others tried to reach them but couldn’t. Fortunately help was close by.

Some search and rescue team members were already near the swimming hole after getting a call to help someone who had suffered a bad allergic reaction, Hornung said.

Four people were rescued and treated for hypothermia.

Those killed included five children — 2-year-old Erica Raya-Garcia; Emily Garnica, 3; Mia Garnica, 5; Danial Garnica, 7; and Jonathan Leon, 13. Also killed were Javier Raya-Garcia, 19; Selia Garcia Castaneda, 57; Maribel Raya-Garcia, 24, and Maria Raya-Garcia, 27. The National Weather Service estimated up to 1.5 inches of rain fell over the area in an hour. The thunderstorm hit about 12 kilometres upstream along Ellison Creek, which quickly flooded the narrow canyon where the swimmers were.