A sheriff’s helicopter crew rescued a man stranded on top of his overturned truck in Arizona as floodwaters rose around him. The rescue followed remnants of Hurricane Polo bringing historic rainfall to the Desert Southwest, which contributed to dangerous flash flooding.
The man was sitting atop the overturned vehicle in a flooded wash. Water rushed around him as first responders assessed the scene. Because of the dangerous conditions, deputies determined a direct approach was too risky. A “hoist rescue” became the safest option.
The Rescue in Action
Video released by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office shows the man perched on the truck as muddy floodwaters rush past him. The helicopter’s pilot, Rich Dickner, told CBS News that the water was quickly rising around the vehicle.
“We didn’t waste much time,” Dickner said. “As opposed to when we first got there, you can see the water line on the video — it’s below the window — and it had risen up to the top of the window.” So there was that urgency.”
A member of the Fox 1 aviation crew was lowered toward the vehicle. She secured the man in a rescue harness and was hoisted to safety with him. The rescue took less than five minutes, according to authorities.
Who Made It Happen
The Fox 1 crew responded to the call. Deputy Lindsey Smith was lowered toward the overturned truck. She initially struggled to get her footing before securing herself to the vehicle.
The man was taken to the riverbank, where fire personnel were waiting, according to the sheriff’s office. The helicopter crew worked quickly under difficult conditions.
The Water Behind the Rescue
The Weather Channel reported that remnants of Hurricane Polo brought historic rainfall to parts of the Desert Southwest. That contributed to dangerous flash flooding across the region. The Flood Control District of Maricopa County warned drivers not to attempt to cross flooded roads.
“Remember: Conditions can change fast. If you encounter a flooded roadway, Turn Around, Don’t Drown,” the district cautioned.
A Quick Decision Under Pressure
The decision to use a hoist rescue was made because of the danger. Directly reaching the man would have put responders in harm’s way. The water was rising too fast to wait.
Dickner described the urgency clearly. The water rose from below the window to the top of it in the time between arrival and rescue. That is a narrow margin for anyone caught in a flooded vehicle.
What the Sheriff’s Office Said
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office credited the crew’s swift response with getting the man to safety. “Thanks to the skill and quick response of our Aviation crew, the subject was safely brought to shore,” the sheriff’s office said.
“Excellent work, Fox 1!”
The rescue was a team effort. The helicopter crew, the deputy on the ground, and the fire personnel waiting at the riverbank all played a part.
| Role | Person |
|---|---|
| Pilot | Rich Dickner |
| Deputy lowered | Lindsey Smith |
| Aviation crew | Fox 1 crew |
The rescue took less than five minutes from start to finish.
The Warning That Follows
The flood warning from the district applies to everyone driving in the area. Conditions can change fast, and a flooded road can become impassable in seconds. The message is simple: Turn Around, Don’t Drown.
The rescue in Tonopah is a reminder of how quickly water can become dangerous. A man was stranded on his overturned truck. A helicopter crew acted fast.
The quick work of the Fox 1 crew deserves credit. They responded to the call, assessed the danger, and executed a rescue in under five minutes. The man was brought to shore, where fire personnel waited. The deputy who secured the man to the vehicle did so after struggling to find her footing, and the pilot watched the water rise from below the window to the top of it.
The rescue shows what a coordinated response looks like under pressure. The sheriff’s office credited the crew’s swift response with getting the man to safety, and the pilot’s description of the rising water line gives a sense of how little time was available. The district’s warning applies to everyone driving in the area: conditions can change fast, and a flooded road can become impassable in seconds. The message is simple: Turn Around, Don’t Drown.
Source material: “Arizona sheriff's helicopter crew rescues man stranded atop overturned truck in rapidly rising floodwaters,” Fox News.
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