Cochise County Rescue Operations
The Cochise County Search and Rescue team found itself responding to two urgent incidents within just a few hours. One situation tragically involved a woman who died due to flash flooding, while another required a man to be rescued by helicopter from a deserted mine.
On September 12, around 9:30 PM, authorities were alerted to a woman caught in the rising waters of a submerged vehicle. When deputies arrived, they discovered a man who had been affected by the flood in a nearby wash. As they worked to save him, efforts to locate the woman continued.
Sadly, the woman was later found several feet from her vehicle, confirmed to have passed away.
“Don’t turn around and drown. Please wait for the water to recede before attempting to cross a flooded area,” officials urged the public. The focus quickly shifted from rescue to recovery, and deep condolences were offered to the victim’s family and friends.
On September 13, around 1 AM, the search team was called out again for a man trapped at the base of the Lavender Pit, an old copper mine in Bisbee. A helicopter from the Tucson Public Safety Bureau was dispatched to assist, although initial attempts to contact the mine’s security were unsuccessful due to poor road conditions, according to a social media update.
The helicopter finally arrived around 2 AM and landed near the pit to pick up the search and rescue personnel. The man was eventually airlifted to a hospital after sustaining unspecified injuries during the incident. It was noted that he was a 44-year-old resident of Bisbee and was not in a vehicle at the time of the incident.
