PAYSON, Arizona — At least three people were found dead this week after their cars were swept away by floods in Arizona, officials said.

A Gila County Sheriff’s official said the bodies of a couple who went missing after their car was caught in flooding in the Payson area were found on March 24. They were identified as Von Sutton, 85, and Dara Sutton, 72, of Payson, Arizona.

Separately, the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office said the body of a 64-year-old woman was recovered after the car she was traveling with her husband was swept downstream at a river crossing.

Flooding caused by recent rainfall and snowmelt has caused problems in parts of central and northern Arizona, prompting residents of several lowland communities to evacuate.

Gila County officials said a search and rescue team was dispatched Wednesday morning after they received a 911 call about a pickup truck found on Tonto Creek. The vehicle was located approximately 18 miles east of Payson.

Sheriff officials said the search operation was complicated and dangerous due to weather conditions and flooding.

The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office received a call at 10:48 a.m. Thursday from a man who reported his wife missing. The man had been traveling on Hatch Road, about 16 miles west of Route 377, the night before when his Jeep was swept downstream by rapidly moving water at a washing area known as Seymour’s Crossing.

The vehicle stopped and after an hour we were able to leave the vehicle and reach the river bank, but were separated in the dark while we called for help. The man was helped by local residents.

The woman’s body, which was not immediately identified, was found about 200 feet from the water, the sheriff’s office said.

Navajo County Search and Rescue, Hashknife Sheriff’s Posse, Joseph City Fire, Holbrook EMS, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety’s Air Rescue Unit participated in the search for the woman.