On Saturday, a Flash Flood pushed through the prevalent "Cold Springs Swimming Hole" in Payson, Arizona. In this incident, at least nine people are believed to be dead which reportedly includes six children and one person is found to be missing, according to the neighborhood Gila County Sheriff's Office.
As per the division's site, the Gila County Sheriff's Office initially got a 911 call around 3:20 p.m. on Saturday for a search-and-save operation at the swimming hole.
Though it was not raining in the zone where people were swimming, the several backwoods fires, as of late had made heaps of scrap that blasted down a brook and went through the swimming opening, as reported by the Payson Fire Department.
The swimming hole is famous with travelers and local people as the place is known for recreational activities.
How monstrous was the flash flood?
Flood deserted a torrential slide of rock and mud that streamed into the swimming opening. The “ABC15 Arizona” Additionally, posted on twitter a raw video of a rescue operation helicopter in the affected area to show the muddy water falling over rocks.
Many people had been swimming in the stream when the flooding took place. Medical District Fire chief Ron Sattelmaier cited that there was no chance to know exactly what number of people were present in the flooded area.
Victims of the flood
Sgt. David Hornung with the Gila County Sheriff's Department reported that the family of the fourteen members were close to the "Cold Springs Swimming Hole" when substantial downpours led to flash floods.
The six kids among the dead are between the ages of two and thirteen years, and the oldest casualty was in his late sixties. The person who is still missing is a 27-year-old male, news reporter Hornung revealed on the CNN Sunday.
Hornung added that four of the family members were rescued. They were taken to hospital for the treatment of hypothermia.
A flash flood warning for Gila County was issued by The National Weather Service on Saturday at 2:12 p.m.
The casualties were most likely caught in the disaster without any warning as they didn't have the cell phone service, said Hornung.
Relatives of the victims told the "Arizona Republic” daily paper that they were members of a family from Phoenix that had gone for a birthday celebration at the swimming hole. The daily newspaper said the dead included two mothers with their kids, a grandmother and two boys in their teens.
