Swift water rescue after Silverbell Road rips open

Pima County Sheriff's Dept. says it will take weeks to repair the road

CREATED Jul. 29, 2012

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  • Video by kgun9.com

    video

  • Raging floodwaters cause a portion of Silverbell Road to collapse.

  • Border Patrol helicopters hover overhead as rescue crews try to reach 3 people trapped in a car after falling into a sinkhole.

  • Rescue crews say a middle aged couple and a 93-year-old woman were trapped in the car.

  • It rained a lot here by Casino Del Sol this is In my backyard ...

  • It rained a lot here by Casino Del Sol this is In my backyard ...

  • Swift Water Rescue at Bopp & San Joaqin. Female driver stuck in wash...

  • The flooded road at Speedway east of Houghton.

  • This is a picture of Madera Canyon, from our Quail Creek home, with the clouds going over the top and sliding down our side, forming a toupee.

  • The wildflowers are going crazy up on the mountain. With all the rains, the road up is literally lined with flowers.

  • This is a picture I took when I was on my vacation, weather looks great!

  • This morning (09/10/12) Storm at Sabino Canyon

  • In El Centro, California. At around 7:15-7:20pm on Sunday September 9th, 2012. My family and I had to pull over coming back from San Diego to come home to Tucson because of this. It lasted for about 30-45min then we continued on. It was crazy!

  • Flooded back patio, on North Mallard, Sierra Vista, Chica isn't sure what to think about the flooded patio, 1.3 inches in about 45 minutes, shortly after lunch 9/10/12.

  • Sunset and rain, by David Grinney 8-14-12

  • Rain over Sabino Canyon by David Grinney, 8-14-12

  • Fabulous sunset by David Grinney, 8-14-12

  • Fabulous capture of lightening during the storm that came through on August 6th, 2012

  • Lightening caught on camera August 6th

  • Lightening caught on camera August 6th

  • Lightening caught on camera August 6th

  • Lightening during the storm that swept through on August 6th.

  • The NW storm, rain and lightning 8-6-12

  • The NW storm, rain and lightning 8-6-12

  • The NW storm, rain and lightning 8-6-12

  • The NW storm, rain and lightning 8-6-12

  • The NW storm, rain and lightning 8-6-12

  • The wash at Thornydale and Costco Drive - taken at 5 pm

  • Swift water rescue after Silverbell Road rips open! It was right out of a Hollywood movie. That's how rescue crews describe the scene of a swift water rescue after raging floodwaters from Sunday's Monsoon caused a portion of Silverbell Road to rip open.

  • Swift water rescue after Silverbell Road rips open! It was right out of a Hollywood movie. That's how rescue crews describe the scene of a swift water rescue after raging floodwaters from Sunday's Monsoon caused a portion of Silverbell Road to rip open.

  • Swift water rescue after Silverbell Road rips open! It was right out of a Hollywood movie. That's how rescue crews describe the scene of a swift water rescue after raging floodwaters from Sunday's Monsoon caused a portion of Silverbell Road to rip open.

  • River running over Valley View Rd near Sunrise

  • River running over Valley View Rd near Sunrise

  • Sabino Creek at 4:25 PM this afternoon from the Tanque Verde Wash.

  • W. Anthony Dr in Picture Rocks

  • North side, near CDO HS

  • N. Como Dr. near Moore Rd.

  • Images from today's storms. The running wash is the Rillito River Wash. Enjoy!!

  • Images from today's storms. The running wash is the Rillito River Wash. Enjoy!!

  • Images from today's storms. The running wash is the Rillito River Wash. Enjoy!!

  • Images from today's storms. The running wash is the Rillito River Wash. Enjoy!!

  • We got 2.5" of rain in 1.5 hours, here next to Ventanna Vista Elementary school at Sunrise and Kolb!

  • We got 2.5" of rain in 1.5 hours, here next to Ventanna Vista Elementary school at Sunrise and Kolb!

  • Lightening Strikes! Taken during the Monsoon on Monday night by David Rich Jr.

  • OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

  • Courtesy of Mandy Nagore

  • Courtesy of Patti Brydon

  • Courtesy of Margie Wrye

  • Courtesy of Frank Maynes

  • Amanda Hill sent this photo of Elianna "playing in the rain."

  • Rainbow over the Catalina Mountains. Courtesy of Bob Ciaciuch.

  • Photo courtesy of the Tapia family.

  • Photo courtesy of Heather Parra.

  • KGUN9 viewer Brianna Romero took this photo of the skyline while she was at the playground with her kids.

  • That's a lot of rain! Gabrielle Varvel sent this photo taken from Houghton and Old Spanish Trail.

  • Ryan Madar took this photo at The Gold Club at Vistoso in Oro Valley. Rain on the 9th green.

  • Burley Packwood took this photo of a rainbow in Green Valley, Ariz.

  • Jared Grinney took this photo on his cell phone in Scottsdale as the Haboob was moving in.

  • Courtesy of Pete Gregoire

  • Courtesy of Pete Gregoire

  • Pete Gregoire got amazing shots of the lightning near Saguaro National Monument.

  • Ashley Coalter took this photo on the way to Mt. Lemmon.

  • Monsoon clouds. Photo courtesy of Tammy Garcia.

  • Mindy Bailey took this photo at La Cholla and River. She wasn't even trying to get the lightning!

  • Scott Vaughan took this photo of the sunset with some Monsoon rain in the background.

  • Photo courtesy of Sean Hughes.

  • Rain and lightning. Photo courtesy of Ernie Strong

  • Great lightning picture taken by Michael King.

  • Chris Burkhart ran into a little bit of flooding.

  • Photo courtesy of Becki Gastelum

  • Photo courtesy of Becki Gastelum

  • Photo courtesy of Britney Barr

  • Photo courtesy of Chris Burkhart

  • Photo courtesy of Jeff Shope

  • Roger Guerette Jr. took this photo while he was fishing at the lake.

  • Taken near the Corona De Tucson Fire Department. Photo by David Ellis.

  • Taken from Vail, looking toward Tucson. Photo by Reena Giola

  • Missy Lopez took this photo of a downed tree near Curtis Road.

  • Photo courtesy of Tomas Martinez.

  • Photo courtesy of Tamara Pruessner

  • Photo by Melissa Wiseman

  • Photo by Diana Contreras-Huerta

  • Photo by Diana Contreras-Huerta

  • Carrie Ross took this photo on August 13, facing the Catalina Mountains from the Golf Links area.

  • Photo taken by Isaac Entrican on the bridge on La Canada between Hardy and Lambert.

Reporter: Valerie Cavazos

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) -- It was right out of a Hollywood movie. That's how rescue crews described  the scene of a swift water rescue after raging floodwaters from Sunday's Monsoon caused a portion of Silverbell Road to rip open.

Nearby resident Ray Diaz knew the driver of a small car would get into trouble as he witnessed the vehicle enter the raging water that covered the road. He said the car started to slide sideways, but got stuck after falling into a sinkhole. The driver tried to back up, but couldn't and that's when Diaz told his wife to call 911 because "they're not going to make it."

Sheriff's deputies, firefighters and rescue crews arrived on the scene to find a middle aged couple and a 93-year-old woman trapped in the car. A Border Patrol helicopter hovered overhead to help by air, but ground crews were able to reach the 3 passengers after the water receded a bit. The middle aged couple was able to hike out with the help of rescuers, but the 93-year-old woman was carried out in a stokes basket.

Sgt. George Economidis of the Pima County Sheriff's Dept. said the sinkhole saved the lives of the 3 people trapped in the car. He said, "At the downstream side of the roadway, there was about a 3 to 4 foot drop that undoubtedly had that vehicle been pushed sideways and fell into that drop, the car would have gone under water and we could have been looking at fatalities here."

Economidis said that the road ripped open after concrete structures at the edge of the road washed away. The raging floodwaters swirled underneath the road -- digging the dirt away -- which eventually caused the road to break apart.

The Highway Department spent much of the night surveying the stability of the road. It's estimated that it will take weeks before the road is repaired.