Arizona swimming hole flash flood: What we know now

A weekend day at a popular Arizona swimming hole turned deadly after a flash flood swept away at least 10 people. Details about the tragedy, which claimed the lives of at least six children, are still emerging. 

Here’s what we know as of Sunday, July 16. 

What caused the Arizona flash flood?

On Saturday afternoon, as 100 people or more enjoyed a hot summer day at the Cold Springs swimming hole in the forest north of Payson, Ariz., a thunderstorm began to pour rain nearby. Local fire officials told The Arizona Republic that water raced downstream and apparently left many people swept away or stranded.

Who are the victims? 

Local officials had not released names of the victims Sunday afternoon, but relatives from Phoenix who had driven to Payson told Republic reporters that more than a dozen family members had driven to the area for a weekend getaway and birthday celebration. They said the dead included: 

• Maria Raya, who would have turned 26 on Sunday, and her children:
• Emily Garnica, 3
• Mia Garnica, 5
• Hector Daniel Garnica, 7.
• Maribel Raya, 24, Maria Raya’s sister, along with her daughter:
• Erika Raya, 2.
• Javier Raya, 14, brother of Maria and Maribel.
• Selia Garcia, 60, the mother of Maria, Maribel and Javier.
• Jonathan Leon, 13, Celia Garcia’s grandson.

Still missing as of Sunday afternoon was:

• Hector Miguel Garnica, 27, Maria Raya’s husband. 

Three bodies were recovered Saturday and six others were found Sunday. Two adults and two children rescued by helicopter Saturday were taken to Banner Payson Medical Center and treated for hypothermia and then released, officials told The Republic.

Where is Cold Springs swimming hole? 

The first 911 call shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday reported flooding at a swimming hole known as Cold Springs, in the Tonto National Forest just north of Payson.

The entire region is a summer-getaway destination for Arizona, especially for people from the hot Phoenix metro area, because temperatures are far cooler at Payson’s higher elevation.

The scenic Mogollon Rim, a unique 200-mile-long cliff above the mountainous area, towers over countless forest groves, campgrounds, creeks and swimming holes. Much of the backcountry is part of the Tonto National Forest. 

Officials said the swimming spot where the tragedy hit was Cold Springs, near a campground and recreation area known as the Water Wheel. 

Water Wheel is a set of campgrounds and recreation sites along Houston Mesa Road, which leads north into the forest from Payson. The road follows the East Verde River, which flows downstream from the Mogollon Rim. Another waterway, Ellison Creek, joins the river in that area. 

Water Wheel is named after an old water wheel in the area. It’s an area marked by idyllic swimming and fishing pools along the river, but also by steep rock walls that narrow the riverbed to a near-vertical canyon at some spots. 

How did the flash flood happen?

The thunderstorm hit about 8 miles upstream from the swimming hole.  

“They had no warning. They heard a roar and it was on top of them,” said Water Wheel Fire and Medical District Fire Chief Ron Sattelmaier. 

Saturday’s thunderstorm pounded down on a nearby remote area that had been burned over by the Highline Fire earlier this summer. There had been thunderstorms throughout the area near Payson.

But it wasn’t raining where the swimmers were. Indeed, a government stream-flow gauge nearby, up the East Verde, shows not a blip in increased water flows from Friday through Saturday. 

Instead, water apparently raced down Ellison Creek, which quickly flooded the narrow canyon at the swimming area. One rescue worker told the Arizona Republic that it was a “six-foot tall, 40-foot-wide black wave.” 

Flash floods may not be commonly associated with arid Arizona, but they do happen with some frequency. Dozens of people have died in flash floods in recent decades. 

Check back with azcentral.com for updates.

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