Two 19-year-old women missing during a flash flood were found safe Saturday near West Clear Creek in Camp Verde.
According to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, the hikers were reported overdue Friday night after failing to return from an overnight trip that started Thursday. One of the women texted around 2 p.m. Friday that they were caught in a flash flood and had climbed to higher ground. After that, contact was lost.
With their vehicle still at the trailhead and storms grounding air support, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office prepared a ground search at daybreak.
On Saturday morning, deputies re-established contact with the two hikers by emergency text. The women were cold and wet, but unhurt. By 10 a.m., a DPS Ranger helicopter located them and airlifted them to safety.
Sheriff’s Office officials remind hikers to check weather conditions and always carry emergency communication devices.