Mohave County search and rescue crews conducted multiple swift-water rescues on Sunday after torrential rains associated with Tropical Storm Rachel caused flash flooding across desert washes. These life-saving operations unfolded in separate incidents south of Lake Havasu City and near Topock, collectively stranding at least eight people.
One rescue began Sunday morning at 7:45 a.m. when Mohave County Sheriff’s Office dispatchers received an emergency call regarding five young adults. This group, consisting of three men and two women in their twenties, had ventured out Saturday evening to explore near Mohave Wash when their Jeep Grand Cherokee experienced radiator problems, leaving them stranded overnight. Although the wash was initially bone-dry, lingering downpours from Tropical Storm Rachel rapidly transformed it into a violent river, sweeping their Jeep away. The group managed to escape on foot to higher ground, taking shelter on a hilltop. By Sunday morning, however, their cell phone batteries were dead, preventing them from communicating their coordinates.
Ground crews from Search and Rescue faced severe delays as they navigated swollen waterways from Standard Wash toward Mohave Wash, searching for safe crossing points. The Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) Central Air Rescue dispatched a helicopter from Phoenix to aid the search. Crew members from the helicopter located the group huddled on the hilltop, landed, and airlifted all five individuals to a command post, where they were found to be unharmed and in good spirits.
Local photographer Todd Taylor, who assisted the search by flying with Havasu Helicopters, reported searching the Mohave Wash area for about an hour. He noted finding the Jeep approximately a mile up the wash from Dollar Cabin, observing that even though the rain in Havasu had stopped hours earlier, water was still flowing hard in the normally dry wash.
Hours later, at approximately 2:45 p.m., emergency responders were called out again to South Oatman Highway near Topock Lake. Here, a 67-year-old man and a 37-year-old man in a pickup truck, who were hauling a boat trailer, ignored closure barricades and drove into the flooded highway. The rushing water trapped their truck between two active washes, forcing the pair to exit the vehicle and wait on a log until rescuers arrived to help them to safety.
Earlier the same day, another driver and their dog had to abandon a white Jeep after driving north into the same flooded stretch of South Oatman Highway.
These incidents prompted a strong warning from Mohave County officials, who reminded the public that bypassing closed signs creates unnecessary risks for both motorists and first responders. Under Arizona’s “Stupid Motorist Law,” drivers who intentionally circumvent flood barricades and subsequently require rescue can face a bill of up to $2,000 for emergency response expenses, in addition to any moving violation citations. Officials emphasized that these incidents create unnecessary risk for all involved, advising motorists to turn around and seek an alternate route when encountering water on the road or closure barricades.
Search and rescue officials further advised individuals recreating in Mohave County's remote backcountry to travel with multiple vehicles in case one becomes stranded. They stressed the importance of checking weather forecasts and understanding how storms, particularly lingering systems like Hurricane Rachel, can rapidly transform dry washes into dangerous, running water. Additionally, they recommended having a communication plan in case phones lose battery or signal, and always informing someone of planned routes and expected return times.
Authorities have not released the identities of those rescued. It remains unconfirmed whether the motorists who bypassed closure barricades will face citations or be billed for emergency response costs. Information for this report was gathered from the Mohave County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue.
