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Missing Teens Found

Verde River winds through desert areas

Verde River winds through desert areas

Sedona AZ (May 29, 2014) – On May 25, 2014, around noon, Arizona Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office dispatchers were notified that two Tempe area teens, ages 13 and 15, were canoeing along the Verde River and had failed to reach their designated pull off point at Beasley Flats Recreation area. YCSO’s Rescue 1 helicopter was launched immediately following the call from family members.

After the rescue, deputies learned the pair had continued down the river another mile and, after realizing they had gone too far, beached the canoe. The teens then began hiking away from the river in hopes of finding their family. Instead of backtracking upstream, the pair mistakenly went cross country and followed a dry wash, heading north from the Verde River.

The helicopter crew was able to locate the abandoned canoe on a shore line. The Rescue 1 pilot landed and dropped off a YCSO Forest Patrol deputy who began tracking efforts to locate the pair. As the air search continued, the Rescue 1 crew eventually spotted the teens around 2:15 PM in the Cottonwood wash and coordinated their rescue. The teens were reunited with their anxious family waiting at the Fossil Creek Road and AZ SR Highway 260 junction.

Concerns and lessons: Forest Patrol deputies reported the teens had very little prior experience in river canoeing. Additionally, they took no food, water, or cells phones and did not have any floatation devices on-board. Deputies also noted that if the teens had not beached their canoe where they did, the Verde Falls were only a half mile away and, with their lack of experience, the results could have been tragic.

Rescue professionals recommend to those lost or disoriented to remain stationary as it provides rescuers a better opportunity to affect a timely and successful effort. Resist the temptation to “wander” in an attempt to self-rescue which complicates searchers efforts and may present additional risks. Finally, the rescue team noted that without the immediate availability of Rescue 1, a ground search would have taken hours based on the topography alone.

Citizens can contact the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office with information or questions at 928-771-3260.

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