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Out on a limb! Elderly Arizona couple rescued after raging flood sweeps their car into a tree

By
FOX 10 Phoenix
Monsoons
Published September 10, 2026 3:10 PM MST
Published September 10, 2026 3:10 PM MST
article

Rescuers work to free two people from a car trapped in floodwaters near Benson on Sept. 9, 2026. (Cochise County Sheriff's Office)

The Brief

    • Emergency crews in Cochise County saved an elderly couple Wednesday night after raging flash floods swept their car off Ocotillo Road and pinned it against a tree.
    • Grounded air support, flooded access roads and dropped 911 calls initially stalled search efforts until dispatchers mapped a second cell signal to locate the pair 1,000 feet into the wash.
    • Swiftwater rescuers and local officers walked both victims to safety before transporting them to Benson Hospital, prompting officials to reiterate: "Turn around, don't drown."

BENSON, Ariz. - An elderly couple is recovering in the hospital after surviving a harrowing swiftwater rescue Wednesday night when heavy flooding swept their vehicle into a tree near Benson.

What we know:

Multiple Cochise County emergency agencies mounted an intense rescue operation along North Ocotillo Road, roughly three miles north of Interstate 10, overcoming blocked roads, dropped phone calls and grounded aircraft to bring the stranded couple to safety.

The ordeal began around 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 9, when the husband frantically called 911 to report that floodwaters were washing his silver car toward the San Pedro River. The driver managed to tell dispatchers that he and his wife were hung up against a tree before the line went dead, leaving emergency teams without precise GPS coordinates.

Lightning strikes in the distance during a swiftwater rescue operation near Benson, Arizona, on Sept. 9, 2026 (Cochise County Sheriff's Office)

Deputies from the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, alongside Benson Police, Benson Fire, North County EMS, and Search and Rescue, rushed to the scene. Raging waters along Ocotillo Road forced ground crews to halt at milepost one, while severe weather grounded air support helicopters, preventing an aerial search.

READ MORE: Monsoon muck traps ambulance as it rushes to rescue unconscious, elderly Cochise County woman

Responders repeatedly tried calling the couple back while waiting for the surge to subside. As water levels receded enough for swiftwater teams to cross the wash, the wife managed to dial 911 again. Dispatchers mapped her cell signal, placing the trapped vehicle approximately 1,000 feet east of Ocotillo Road.

Two Benson Police officers and swiftwater rescuers navigated through the flood debris to reach the pinned car. Both victims were successfully extricated and walked back out to the main road. By 10 p.m., the couple was evaluated at a command post and transported to Benson Hospital for treatment. Sheriff’s officials praised the multi-agency coordination and reminded motorists to "turn around, don't drown" during severe weather.

Map of the area where the couple was rescued:

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