At approximately 10:48 a.m. on Thursday, March 23, the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center received a call reporting that a local couple was traveling on Hutch Road approximately 16 miles west of State Route 377 when their vehicle was swept off a dirt road by flood water. The caller reported his 64-year-old wife was currently missing and the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office immediately dispatched deputies, Navajo County Search and Rescue, Hashknife Sheriff’s Posse, Joseph City Volunteer Fire Department, Holbrook EMS and the Arizona Department of Public Safety’s Air Rescue Unit (Ranger) to search the area for the missing female. The husband reported that the previous night, he and his wife were in a Jeep, crossing a wash known as “Seymour’s Crossing.” The husband reported that the swift moving water swept the Jeep from the dirt roadway and began to push the vehicle downstream where it came to rest. After approximately an hour, the occupants crawled out of the vehicle and were able to get to the riverbank, out of the water. During their attempt to seek assistance, the couple was separated in the dark. The husband was found by local residents and was taken to safety and called the Sheriff’s Office reporting his wife was still missing. The female was subsequently found deceased approximately a half mile downstream from the Jeep and approximately 200 feet from the water. No further information will be released at this time. This is an ongoing investigation.
