Crews used a tethered boat to rescue a worker trapped in his truck by high water near 155th Avenue and Riggs Road in Goodyear.BUCKEYE, AZ (CBS5) -
Crews used a tethered boat to rescue a worker trapped in his truck by high water near 155th Avenue and Riggs Road in Goodyear.
Water was reported rushing as high as the windows of the bucket truck in a fast-moving wash.
Crews tried fire trucks with ladders and contemplated helicopter rescues before finally settling on using the boat.
"He got stuck in the mud and he said within about 15 minutes of trying to find his way out of the mud he kind of looked up and started to see the water come down," said Russ Braden with the Goodyear Fire Department. "He said he just saw the wall of water coming and he knew things were going to get real bad really quick."
At first the fire department wanted to bring in a helicopter to rescue the Century Link worker, but the type they needed wasn't available. And they didn't want the worker to try and jump out because the currents were strong and the water was up to 4 feet deep.
"You don't know what people have dumped in these washes," Braden said. "Coming down from them are tree trunks, branches, refrigerators, washing machines, or other vehicles."
So they decided to use an inflatable raft instead.
"They started cutting down trees on both ends so they could make an anchor point for their boat," said Michael Todd, who saw the entire rescue unfold.
He said the man climbed on top of the truck and got a helmet and life vest by rope. Then a team of rescuers paddled in on a raft, safely getting him out.
"You see this stuff on the news, you're always worried that it could turn worse, and it's a dangerous situation," Todd said.
The truck will stay in the wash until the waters calm down. The man who was rescued did not want to talk to us, but he seemed calm throughout the ordeal and when he got off that truck you could tell he was very relieved.
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