Boy, 13, dies when swept away in Rio Rico

A 13-year-old boy died when he and another teen were swept away Thursday night near a waterfall in Rio Rico, officials said.

The Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Department says it started getting calls around 7:45 p.m. reporting that two boys had been swept away by rushing water near a waterfall.

Rio Rico is about 60 miles south of Tucson.

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

The department’s search and rescue team was dispatched along with the Tubac Fire Department and a crew from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

One of the teens — a 17-year-old boy — was eventually spotted and rescued, the Sheriff’s Department said.

Crews later recovered the body of the 13-year-old boy.