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Hotel employees save man from Flagstaff flood
A Flagstaff hotel employee acted on instinct to rescue a man from floodwaters hours before 73-year-old Williams Singavarapu died in the same spot. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean reports.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - It was outside Flagstaff's Hyatt Place hotel where Flagstaff police say a 73-year-old man from New York died after being swept up in a culvert near the parking lot Sunday.
Intense Flagstaff Flooding:
Earlier in the day, hotel staff saved another man who ended up on the other side of the drainage ditch.
"My instinct was to go run over there, grab him, pull him out of the water, supervisor called 911," said Theo Bahe, one of the employees at the Hyatt Place hotel who saved the man from floodwaters.
Pure instinct was what Bahe says he was acting on, along with other bystanders, when they rescued the man near the hotel parking lot on the afternoon of Nov. 1.
"He went underneath the storm drain and crossed the street. I managed to pick him up over there at the pine tree over there. Luckily, my supervisor and another gentleman named Phil, he helped me as well," Bahe said.
Floods Turn Deadly:
Bahe says a couple hours later, another man, later identified as 73-year-old Williams Singavarapu of New York, got swept away in the same spot. Police say he did not survive.
"They found him this morning by NAU," Bahe said.
Roads to Rivers:
Meanwhile, Flagstaff residents Christina and OJ Hibbert got caught in the storms while traveling up Interstate 17 from Scottsdale.
"It was like a river and there were logs floating by, and I mean it was crazy, so we were single file, one car after the other 'cuz the police were guiding us through, just trying to get through," Christina Hibbert said.
OJ Hibbert added, "I think they shut it down right after us and even driving through the water, you could feel debris and dirt and rocks."
Historic Rainfall:
The amount of rainfall and flooding was completely new to the longtime Flagstaff residents.
"We've lived here 22 years in Flagstaff, we've never seen flooding like this, especially on the freeway," Christina Hibbert said.
By the numbers:
Six swift water rescues were carried out Sunday in the area, along with dozens of other evacuations and assistance-related calls. Four local dispatchers answered more than 1,000 calls overall during the storms for areas stretching into other flood-ravaged areas like Oak Creek near Sedona and parts of larger Coconino County.
"Ongoing calls of flooding, individuals being stuck, not able to get home, and reports from outside of the city, individuals calling about where their loved ones were, where their student at NAU was, so a lot of unknowns," said Casey Gonzales, union president of United Flagstaff Fire Fighters Local 1505.
Ongoing Efforts:
Those same crews are prepared to continue responding to calls as their communities continue to recover.
"It's just gonna be onward for us, we just wake up and do it again tomorrow to the best of our ability with the resources we have," Gonzales said.
Dig deeper:
Flowers were placed at the scene by the hotel staff to honor Singavarapu.
What we don't know:
The Flagstaff Police Department believes a second person died in the floodwaters in Flagstaff, but that person has not been identified at this time.
Big picture view:
Meanwhile, a state of emergency declaration from Governor Katie Hobbs unlocks $200,000 for recovery efforts throughout the state.
The following highways remain closed as of the evening of Nov. 2:
- State Route 87 near Winslow (mileposts 344-346)
- State Route 87 south of State Route 264 (mileposts 398-400)
- State Route 89A between Sedona and Kachina Village (mileposts 375-397)
- US 191 in Rock Point (mileposts 496-494)
- State Route 288 between mileposts 271-302
Resources:
If your home experienced flooding, a damage report can be submitted at flagstaffaz.gov/. This allows better documentation of affected areas and supports local and state damage assessments. Submitting a report is not an application for assistance and should not be used to report damage to outbuildings, trees or fences.
An Emergency Operations Center has been activated to coordinate response and recovery. The Red Cross shelter at Sinagua Middle School (3950 E. Butler Ave) includes meals, snacks, water, health support and information about additional resources for individuals and families who need a safe place to stay.
If residents are in an emergency, they are urged to call 911.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from the Flagstaff Police Department; Theo Bahe, an employee at Hyatt Place hotel; Christina Hibbert, a Flagstaff resident; OJ Hibbert, a Flagstaff resident; and Casey Gonzales, union president with United Flagstaff Firefighters IFF Local 1505.