Ranger Assists in Flash Flood Rescue Mission

On Monday, July 24, 2017, extreme monsoon storms moved through the Tucson area causing heavy flash flooding in the Tanque Verde Wash located just northeast of Tucson. As a result of the rapidly moving flood waters hikers were stranded in the wash and surrounding area.

At 5:45 a.m. the Pima County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) contacted DPS Southern Air Rescue Ranger for assistance in rescuing two hikers who had been stranded overnight on a ledge. Three rescuers with the Southern Arizona Rescue Association (SARA) were on scene helping the stranded hikers, who had not been injured.

Trooper/Pilot Hunter French and Trooper/Paramedic Sharon Cups flew the requested mission. Once at the hiker’s location Pilot French found an area in which he was able to perform a hover / ingress, where the helicopter hovers and the people being rescued step in. Medic Cups assisted the two hikers into Ranger and they were transported to the PCSO command post.

Ranger then returned and transported the three SARA rescuers out to the command post.

To watch raw video footage click here: http://marketing.azdps.gov/Private/cs/Rescure072517.mp4