Daily Archives: July 25, 2017

Multi-Agency Rescue of Injured Person in Chevelon Canyon July 23

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FOREST LAKES, AZ – At approximately 11:40 a.m. on July 23, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs that there was a personal locator beacon activation in the bottom of Chevelon Canyon near Telephone Ridge. The Sheriff’s Office, Coconino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, Forest Lakes Fire District, U.S. Forest Service, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety Central Air Rescue Unit responded to the call. The response was impacted by severe thunderstorms in the area making travel on roads and trails hazardous.

Search and Rescue personnel located an injured fisherman in the bottom of the creek at approximately 5:00 PM. It was determined that the 48 year old male subject has sustained an ankle injury rendering him unable to hike out on his own. He had activated the personal locator beacon shortly after his accident and then established a make shift shelter as storms came through the area. The personal locator beacon transmitted his location via the SARSAT system to the US Air Force Rescue Coordination Center who alerted the State of Arizona of the incident. SAR personnel used radio direction finding equipment to locate the subject.

SAR personnel and USFS personnel treated the subject on scene and then performed a litter carry to a nearby meadow in the bottom of the canyon. DPS Air Rescue responded from Phoenix after the storms had passed and landed in the meadow to pick up the subject at 6:30 PM. The subject was then flown to a waiting ambulance from Forest Lakes Fire District so that he could be transported to Payson Regional Medical Center for treatment.

This incident was another good example of the cooperative relationships between several emergency response organizations. The subject was well prepared for the situation which aided in his comfort while waiting for rescue.

Search and Rescue would like to remind those recreating in the outdoors to be aware of the weather forecast and be prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions. In addition it is recommended that everyone recreating in the outdoors carry at least the 10 essentials which includes water, food, extra warm clothing, navigation equipment, headlamp/flashlight, first aid kit, shelter material, fire starting kit, pocket knife/multi-tool, and signaling equipment.

California couple drowns at Lake Havasu

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PHOENIX — The drowning of two adults at Lake Havasu on Friday, July 21, is a sad reminder that everyone—regardless of age—should wear a life jacket when out on the water. Although Arizona requires that children 12 and younger must wear a properly fitting life jacket any time a boat is underway, everyone should wear a life jacket at all times while on the water.

The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) reported that 41-year-old Esmeralda Gonzalez of Monrovia, Calif., jumped from a boat in an area near Crazy Horse Cove to go for a swim. She was not wearing a life jacket and began to panic in the water. Her husband, Raul Gonzalez, 44, jumped into the water to rescue her but he also was not wearing a life jacket. They were seen struggling in the water, according to the MCSO, prior to both going under and not resurfacing.

Esmeralda was pulled from the water at about 3:25 p.m. and brought to the Crazy Horse Docks where off-duty Los Angeles County deputy sheriffs administered CPR. She was pronounced dead by Lake Havasu City Fire Department personnel.

At about 3:45 p.m., Raul was located in 12 feet of water by the Lake Havasu City Police Department and the San Bernardino County, Calif., Sheriff’s Department marine units. He was transported to the Crazy Horse Docks and pronounced dead.

The MCSO reported that the accident remains under investigation and alcohol may have been a factor.

U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that drowning was the reported cause of death in 80 percent of recreational boating fatalities in 2016 and that 83 percent of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets.

“Wearing a life jacket is a critical and simple step that people can take in order to stay safe when out on the water,” said Josh Hoffman, boating safety education coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “Don’t just keep life jackets onboard for everyone — take the next step and wear them.”

The Arizona Game and Fish Department recommends that watercraft operators and their passengers take a free boating safety course in Phoenix or Lake Havasu City to learn the information and tips needed to stay safe while on the water.

For more information on boating safety or to register for a hands-on or online safety course, visit www.azgfd.com/Education/Boating.

North Zone Pine Hollow Fire update

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FREDONIA – The Pine Hollow fire continued to grow today and is now just under 500 acres, the fire did receive moderate precipitation over the weekend and more is forecasted for tomorrow.

Tomorrow’s planned strategy is to take advantage of recent wetting conditions and blackline perimeters around sensitive areas within the 10,295 acre planning area boundary. “We’re going to do so on our terms, when we’re not being pushed and can control the intensity of fire behavior in and around sensitive areas that we want to protect,” said Type IV Incident Commander Dave Veater.

· Name: Pine Hollow Wildfire
· Started: Wednesday, July 19, 2017
· Cause: Lightning
· Location: The fire is west of Big Springs Field Station in the vicinity of Little Mountain on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest
· Size: ~ 500 acres
· Fuels: The wildfire is burning in ponderosa pine fuel type and debris left from the Pipeline Fire of 2009
· Resources: 2 Type-6 engines and 2 Type-3 engines
· Expected Actions: Continue monitoring fire behavior, identify containment lines and values at risk

Additional fire activity updates will be provided as new information becomes available, and may be obtained through the following sources:

· Kaibab National Forest Website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
· InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5402/
· Kaibab National Forest Fire Information phone line: (928) 635-8311
· Text Message – text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404
· Twitter: @KaibabNF
· Facebook: @KaibabNF

2017 fall hunt draw results now available

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PHOENIX – The waiting is over for hopeful hunters who applied for a 2017 fall hunt permit-tag.

There are three ways to obtain draw results for the deer, fall turkey, fall javelina, bighorn sheep, fall bear, fall bison and pheasant seasons:

  • Sign in to your AZGFD customer portal account.
  • Visit https://draw.azgfd.gov, then click on “View Results and Bonus Points.”
  • Call (602) 942-3000 and press “2.”

A record 90 percent of all applicants applied online (131,457), compared to 10 percent who filled out a paper application (14,309).

For those who were unsuccessful in the draw process, a list of about 2,300 leftover permit-tags is posted at http://www.azgfd.gov/draw. The department will accept applications for leftover permit-tags—by mail only—beginning Monday, July 31. Leftover permit-tags will be available for purchase on a “first come, first served” basis at all department offices beginning Monday, August 7.

All permit-tags are scheduled to be mailed by Aug. 4; all refund warrants by August 11.