Heartbreaking goodbyes for a Valley family that was gone too soon.
Hundreds showed up to pay their respects to the Payson flash flooding victims Monday evening.
A special viewing was held at St. Patrick's Catholic Community church in Scottsdale.
The family of 10 was swept away by flood waters; They died together in mere seconds when a dark torrent of water rushed through the placid swimming hole where they were celebrating a family birthday on July 15, taking a grandmother, aunts and uncles, children and grandchildren.
Hector Miguel Garnica, 26, was the last member of the family to be found, days after the others and positively identified through his DNA just in time to be included in the funeral Mass on Tuesday morning.
His wife, Maria del Carmen Raya Garcia, was killed as they marked her 27th birthday, along with their three small children: Hector Daniel, 7, Mia, 5, and Emily, 3.
Also killed was Raya Garcia's mother, Selia Garcia Castaneda, 57; her brother Javier Raya Garcia, 19; her sister Maribel Raya Garcia, 24; Maribel's daughter Erika Janel Camacho Raya, 2; and Jonatan Leon Villanueva, a grandson of Selia Garcia who would have turned 13 next month.
The group was swept away when a flash flood from a thunderstorm upstream rushed through the swimming area at Tonto National Forest. Authorities have said the family had no warning.
A funeral service will take place Tuesday morning at 11 a.m. at the Scottsdale church.
Services are open to the public.
ADDRESS: Address: 10815 N 84th St., Scottsdale, AZ 85260
