Sedona residents trapped by floodwaters rescued by helicopter

Rapidly rising floodwaters trapped residents in their homes across several Arizona communities on Sunday. In Sedona, officials ordered people living near Oak Creek to leave immediately as water levels climbed. Alexander Dale and his wife found themselves stuck on a property next to the creek bed. Their home and several Airbnbs they manage were surrounded by water. "We didn’t know what to do. We couldn’t go anywhere," Dale said.

The couple and about nine guests climbed onto their roof. They waited there for approximately three hours. A helicopter arrived with a long rope line. Crews initially questioned whether the family’s dog could be lifted out. "He told me, ‘Well, we don’t have a harness for a K-9, so I don’t know if we can take him,’" Dale recalled. "So I’m like, ‘What do we do?’"

The family decided against leaving the animal behind. They used harnesses already inside the house. "We put like three of them on him and strapped it all together," Dale explained. He sat in his own harness, holding the dog while being lifted to safety. "I was sitting in this harness basically holding my dog, praying he doesn’t go anywhere," he said.

Other residents faced similar evacuations. Cindy Wilmer, a schoolteacher at Red Rock Crossing, left with minimal belongings. "The water was just roaring down the street," Wilmer stated. She took only her shirt, school keys, and her cat. "I’m worried about my house," she added. Fernando Leon also evacuated from his Oak Creek home. "I opened the door and I saw the river, and I said, ‘Whoa, I need to get out of here,’” Leon said. He feared the property might be a total loss.

The heavy rains that triggered the flooding largely subsided by Sunday afternoon. No injuries or deaths were immediately reported. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs confirmed that state air rescue crews assisted with rooftop evacuations. State transportation crews worked to clear debris from the affected areas.

Residents returned to their properties as conditions stabilized. Dale and his wife reunited with their guests on solid ground. The dog remained with the family throughout the ordeal. Local officials continued to monitor water levels in the creek bed. The immediate danger passed, but residents remained cautious about residual water damage to their homes and vehicles.