On Sunday and Monday morning, public safety personnel had to rescue 17 hikers trapped by flash flooding at Tanque Verde falls northeast of Tucson.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department contacted DPS Air Rescue Ranger for assistance Monday morning in transporting two hikers who had been trapped on a ledge overnight because of flash flooding in the Tanque Verde wash. Three rescuers with the Southern Arizona Rescue Association (SARA) were on scene helping the stranded hikers, who had not been injured.

Pilot Hunter French and paramedic Sharon Cups flew the requested mission, according to the DPS.

Once at the hiker’s location French found an area in which he was able to hover the helicopter to allow those being rescued to step in. The two hikers were flown to the sheriff's command post.

Ranger then returned and transported the three SARA rescuers out to the command post.


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