Cochise County Emergency Responses

The Cochise County Search and Rescue team was called to manage two urgent situations within just a few hours recently. Sadly, one incident involved a woman who lost her life due to flash floods, while the other required a man to be airlifted from an abandoned mine.

On the night of September 12, around 9:30 PM, authorities responded to reports of a woman trapped in a vehicle that had been submerged by rising floodwaters. Upon arrival, deputies found a man who had also been caught in the flood but was fortunate enough to be rescued. Unfortunately, search efforts for the woman culminated in tragedy when she was discovered several feet away from her vehicle and was pronounced dead.

“Please, don’t risk your life by attempting to cross flooded areas,” a spokesperson cautioned. “Wait for the waters to recede. This initial rescue transitioned to a recovery effort, and my heart goes out to her family and friends during this difficult time.” It’s a sobering reminder that nature can be perilous, and perhaps we should all be a bit more cautious during storms.

Early on September 13, at around 1:00 AM, the team was dispatched again, this time to assist a man who had gotten stuck at the bottom of the Lavender Pit, an old copper mine located in Bisbee.

The Tucson Public Safety Bureau mobilized a helicopter after efforts to contact mine security proved unsuccessful in reaching the man. The helicopter arrived just after 2:00 AM and landed at the Pit Overlook to pick up rescue personnel for a thorough inspection.

Eventually, the man was rescued and flown to a hospital due to sustained injuries, as confirmed by the search and rescue team. The individual, identified as a 44-year-old resident of Bisbee, was not inside any vehicle during the incident, and notably, there were no vehicles present at the scene.