PAYSON — A search for a 27-year-old man still missing after a flash flood in central Arizona was suspended Monday afternoon because of a severe thunderstorm moving into the area.

Water Wheel Fire and Medical District Fire Chief Ron Sattelmaier said the search was stopped about 4 p.m. Monday as light rain with thunder and lightning hit the Tonto National Forest area.

The search for Hector Miguel Garnica will resume Tuesday morning, weather permitting, he said.

Search-and-rescue teams, including K-9 units, had fanned out to search for Garnica, the lone family member unaccounted for after a wall of rainwater, mud and debris tore through a narrow canyon and swept away nine of his relatives on Saturday.

The water took his wife, Maria Raya-Garcia, 27, the day before her birthday. It took their three children, ages 3, 5 and 7, and five other members of Raya-Garcia’s family.

About 2 p.m., as rescue teams were still searching for Garnica, Sgt. Dave Hornung of the Gila County Sheriff’s Office pointed to ominous dark clouds looming in the distance, saying groups were monitoring the weather in case another flash flood might strike.

Hornung said a Type 3 Incident Management Team will take over the search Tuesday.

The team is a statewide emergency response team involving various government agencies, with many members trained by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.Hornung said such a team would be much larger than the current search party and would have more equipment, but he didn’t give exact details or figures.

About 40 people combed the 2 1/2-mile search area on Monday.

“We still hold out hope,” Hornung said. “We still hold out for a miracle.”

He said family members offered to aid in the search Monday morning but were asked to let the search-and-rescue teams handle the task.

The search resumed early Monday morning in muddy terrain near the waterfalls above the Water Wheel recreation site.

The Coconino County Search and Rescue Team, the Tonto Rim Search and Rescue Team and the Navajo County Search and Rescue Team took part.

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Hornung said the teams began their search near the waterfalls and planned to search both sides of the Ellison Creek on Monday.

Sunday night’s thunderstorms didn’t raise the water level at the search site, but Hornung said the area is much muddier, which could slow the search.

Family members who drove to Payson to help search told The Arizona Republic that 14 family members were at the swimming hole when the flood struck around 3 p.m. Saturday.

The nine victims were identified Monday by the Gila County Sheriff’s Office as:

  • Maria Raya-Garcia, 27, and her children, Emily Garnica, 3; Mia Garnica , 5; and Daniel Garnica, 7.
  • Maribel Raya-Garcia, 24; her daughter, Erica Raya-Garcia, 2.
  • Javier Raya-Garcia, 19.
  • Selia Garcia Castenada, 57, the mother of Maria, Maribel and Javier Raya-Garcia.
  • Jonathan Leon, 13, Garcia Castenada’s grandson.

All were from Phoenix.

Four other family members, a married couple and their two children, were treated at a local hospital for hypothermia and were released.

They were identified Monday as Julio Garcia, 29; Esthela Atonado, 28; Acis Garcia, 8; and Marina Garcia, 1.

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