Helicopter Crew Lifts Man and Dog After Three-Hour Wait

Alexander Dale clung to his dog while a helicopter lifted them from the roof of his home in Sedona, Arizona. The couple and their nine guests waited for three hours as floodwaters rose around the property.

Dale manages several vacation rentals on a parcel adjacent to the creek bed. When officials ordered a mandatory evacuation, the family and their guests climbed onto the roof to stay above the water line. A helicopter crew arrived to perform the extraction.

The pilot initially questioned whether the team had the proper gear to secure the animal. Dale reported that the pilot said the crew did not have a harness for a K-9. Dale asked what they should do. The couple decided to use three harnesses already available in the home and strapped the dog tightly to his body.

"I was sitting in this harness basically holding my dog, praying he doesn't go anywhere," Dale said. The pilot lowered a thick rope line, and Dale and the dog were hoisted to safety together.

The flooding forced other residents to leave quickly with few belongings. Cindy Wilmer, a schoolteacher, evacuated from Red Rock Crossing with only her clothing, keys, and cat. Wilmer described the water as roaring down the street. Fernando Leon evacuated from his home near Oak Creek after seeing the river through his front door. Leon feared the structure would be a total loss.

State Governor Katie Hobbs said state air rescue units assisted with the rooftop evacuations. Transportation crews worked to clear debris from the area. By Sunday afternoon, the heavy rains had mostly stopped. No injuries or deaths were immediately reported.

Dale said the experience felt uncertain as the water rose. "We didn't know what to do. We couldn't go anywhere," he said. The group remained on the roof until the helicopter crew arrived to extract them.