“We couldn’t go anywhere”: couple and their dog surrounded by floodwaters wait for rescue

That Sunday, flash floods prompted rescues and forced residents from their homes in several communities across Arizona. In Sedona, the authorities ordered people living along Oak Creek to leave immediately; several people were trapped in their homes. Among them were Alexander Dale and his wife, whose house, along with the few Airbnb properties they manage, stands on land bordering the creek bed.

“We couldn’t go anywhere”

“We didn’t know what to do. We couldn’t go anywhere,” said Alexander Dale. With his wife and around 9 of their guests, he climbed onto the roof of the house, where the group waited for nearly 3 hours before a helicopter came to collect them.

The aircraft was equipped with a very long rope, according to the description given by Alexander Dale. Before they could leave, however, a question arose: could the family dog be lifted up too? “We don’t have a harness for a dog, so I don’t know if we can take him,” one of the rescuers told him, according to his account. The owner then wondered what to do.

Several harnesses fastened together

Leaving their pet on the roof was out of the question for the couple. The 2 of them used what they had to hand: harnesses they kept at home. “We put 3 on him and fastened everything together,” explained Alexander Dale.

With these in place, the dog was winched up to the helicopter alongside his owner. As they were lifted, Alexander Dale sat in the harness, holding his dog. “I was sitting in that harness, holding my dog, praying he wouldn’t go anywhere,” he said.

Other local residents also had to leave in a hurry. Cindy Wilmer, a teacher living in Red Rock Crossing, left with almost nothing: the clothes she was wearing, her cat and a set of keys to the school where she works. “The water was roaring down the street,” she said, expressing concern for her home. Fernando Leon, meanwhile, opened his door to find the river outside and left his home in Oak Creek, fearing he had lost it.

By that Sunday afternoon, the rain had largely stopped in the Sedona area. The governor of Arizona, Katie Hobbs, said state air crews were helping with rooftop evacuations, while transport workers were clearing debris. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.