Woman holding onto stop sign rescued during flooding in Arizona
GOLDEN VALLEY, Ariz. - A woman who was clinging onto a stop sign in a flooded western Arizona wash on Monday is safe after she was rescued, authorities said.
According to Mohave County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue, a construction crew spotted the 42-year-old woman on July 25 at about 5 p.m. in a running wash near Shinarump Drive and Agate Road in Golden Valley.
"[She was] holding onto a sign post in rushing water up to her waist," the department wrote on Facebook.
Deputies responded to the scene and as the waters receded, they were able to walk her out of the wash.
"She was very lucky!" the department added.
Body camera video shot by deputies with the Mohave County Sheriff's Office show the rescue.
"They first got up [to the] scene, observed her the water was about waist deep on her, so you can see it’s about to her mid-thigh on the video," said Anita Mortensen with the Mohave County Sheriff's Office.
The Golden Valley area is known for frequent flooding, but for some reason, the woman did not see the signs, until her car was being swept away, and abandoned ship (so to speak).
"We’ve had an influx of new community members from outside the area, and some people aren’t aware the flooding hazards in the area," said Mortensen. "They’re just not aware of it, and they don’t think it can happen to them."
Deputies later managed to guide the woman back to dey land by rope. The rescue happened just down the road from a sign that reads "Do Not Enter When Flooded."
As much of Arizona remains under a Flood Watch, the department wants to remind drivers to not enter flooded roadways, as it could be illegal.
According to Arizona's Stupid Motorist Law, any driver who passes through a barricade and subsequently needs to be rescued has to pay for the rescue.