A daring helicopter rescue during a flash flood in Tanque Verde Canyon was recently featured on an episode of “Hearts of Heroes,” an ABC television series that highlights first responders during natural disasters. The show also helps viewers create emergency response plans and know what actions to take before, during and after a disaster.
The recent Pima County episode tells of a family who was stranded on rocks during a flash flood in Tanque Verde Canyon.
Tucson resident Jorge Flores saw that it would rain, but little did he know that there was going to be a flash flood when he visited Tanque Verde Falls with his 4-year-old nephew.
The water in the canyon quickly rose, leaving Flores and his nephew clinging onto rocks to fight the current. The day could have ended in tragedy had the Flores family not called the Pima County Sheriff’s Department for help.
Four rescuers from the Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to save Flores and his nephew by helicopter: Robert Raterink, Milt Kennedy, Tom Price and Steven West.