At approximately 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Officereceived a call of a single vehicle attempting to cross Beaver Creek at Reay Road in Rimrock. The caller indicated the vehicle was beginning to float away and appeared to contain only the driver.
A swiftwater team was called out and local fire units responded. The weather remained very stormy in the area and visibility was very poor. At about 7:15 a.m., fire personnel located the vehicle almost completely submerged in the river some distance from the crossing.
The swiftwater team was deployed but could not get a complete view of the vehicle interior. As a result, a full search effort covering the area where the vehicle was submerged was ordered. Around 11:45 a.m., a DPS Ranger crew flying over the creek bed spotted a body a little less than a mile from the submerged vehicle.