Man, woman saved from rushing water in San Tan Valley
SAN TAN VALLEY, Ariz. (FOX 10) -- The runoff from rain in the Valley created some dangerous conditions in area washes, and it landed one couple in danger, when they had to be rescued from a rushing river of water in San Tan Valley.
"I was in there for 45 minutes and I literally thought I was going to die today," said a 31-year-old woman. She and a 23-year-old man tried to walk across what they thought was a shallow part of a wash when they got trapped.
"I thought I could cross," said the woman. "I'm from the city. I'm a City Slicker. I was like, we can cross that. I didn't know it was that deep or rushing that fast."
Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb says the two were off-roading when their four-wheeler got stuck.
"They were out four-wheel driving, their four-wheel drive got stuck, they tried to walk across what they thought was a shallow part, she got washed away, he jumped in to try and save her and they both got stuck in there," said Sheriff Lamb.
Law enforcement originally thought children were stuck in the wash. Multiple agencies responded and were able to get the two people out safely
"My legs went numb, his legs went numb, we couldn't hold on anymore," said the woman.
"Anytime we get this amount of rain that comes off the mountains, we get a lot of washes overflow at this time, and people underestimate how strong the currents can be," said Sheriff Lamb.