CORDES LAKES, AZ — Crews are searching for an elderly man who was reportedly swept away in floodwaters on Tuesday in Cordes Lakes.
The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office was called to the Big Bug Creek area around 3 p.m. after residents called 911 to report a vehicle being swept away.
When deputies got to the area, they located a small sedan being carried away with two men on or near the trunk.
The vehicle then began to turn over in the strong current.
A deputy was able to step into the water and pull one man to safety. The rescued man reported that he tried to help the driver after seeing his vehicle drive into the flowing waters and get swept away.
Swift Water Rescue crews were able to locate the car lodged against a tree, about two miles from the point of entry, but found nobody inside or near it.
The driver is described as a 70-year-old Cordes Lakes resident. He was last seen being carried further down the creek.
A family member says the man left his home around 3 p.m. and never reached his destination.
Yavapai Search and Rescue (SAR) units, along with Fire and rescue teams, have searched both banks of Big Bug Creek from the vehicle's entry point to where it came to rest.
Crews are continuing search efforts on Wednesday along Big Bug Creek and the Agua Fria River.
The Sheriff's Office emphasizes the extreme danger posed by current conditions. Please avoid the area near Big Bug Creek due to extremely hazardous water conditions and allow emergency personnel to continue their critical search operations.
Closer to the Valley, crews responded to multiple water rescues during storms on Tuesday. Those incidents occurred in the Tonopah and Wickenburg areas.
