Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Flash flood strands 35 hikers in Arizona
TUCSON, Ariz. — A police helicopter rescued about 35 hikers stranded by flooding in a national forest in Arizona — the latest incident in which groups were trapped by floodwaters during the state’s rainy season.
The rescue Sunday in a canyon on the outskirts of Tucson took place a week after 17 people were saved after flash flooding through a different canyon several miles away, and 15 days after 10 members of an extended family died in flash flooding along a river.
Those rescued Sunday evening weren’t in immediate danger, the Pima County sheriff’s office said.
An Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter was used to ferry out the people who were stranded at a flooded, bridged crossing leading to two popular trails in the Sabino Canyon area.
The National Weather Service had issued a flash flood warning for the canyon and other parts of the Santa Catalina Mountains after thunderstorms dropped heavy rain, including 2 inches at a ranger station on Mount Lemmon.
The situation was reported to the sheriff’s office about 7 p.m. and the rescue was concluded nearly four hours later, Deputy Cody Gress said.
No one was hurt or required medical condition.