Overview
- The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said Nov. 25 it recovered a body believed to be 53-year-old Christopher Couch after his Jeep was swept into the Agua Fria River near Table Mesa and I-17.
- The body was found more than a mile downstream from where the vehicle was last seen during targeted searches constrained by mud and limited access.
- A female passenger on the Jeep’s roof was hoisted to safety by the Fox 1 helicopter on Nov. 23 after a 911 report of the sweep.
- Crews also spotted a second vehicle in the flood, used a deputy-operated drone to locate its two occupants on the riverbank, and airlifted them to safety.
- Authorities emphasized never attempting water crossings during storms, noting desert washes can become fast-moving channels, with formal identification pending the medical examiner.