RIMROCK — Four people stranded on the roof of an SUV in a flooded creek south of Sedona were lifted to safety by a state helicopter crew Thursday afternoon.
The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said it was called about 3:15 p.m. to the Wet Beaver Creek crossing near Dragonshead Road and Culpepper Ranch Road in Rimrock. Fast-moving water had carried the SUV off the crossing.
Deputies searched the creek and spotted the vehicle about 150 feet downstream, with four people on top calling for help. They sent the exact GPS coordinates to an Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter, whose crew rescued all four and brought them to dry ground.
The sheriff’s office did not report any injuries.
Officials repeat a familiar warning during Arizona storms: never drive into a flooded wash or crossing. State law can make drivers who ignore barricades pay for their own rescue.
Sources: Arizona’s Family. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Brienne Magee; Coconino National Forest / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
