PAYSON, Ariz. – This weekend marks one year since a family celebration ended in the deaths of 10 relatives on the East Verde River near Payson.
Ten hearses driving to a Scottsdale cemetery was a sight forever burned in the memories of those who lost their loved ones to a flash flood near Payson on July 15, 2017.
The waters carrying debris from a fire earlier that year showed no mercy. Downstream, the sun shined over a family celebrating a birthday for the weekend near the popular Cold Springs swimming hole—unsuspecting of the devastation heading their way.
Fourteen were swept away in seconds—a father, his two children and wife were miraculously able to hang on for dear life.
The surviving son of that family was Asis Raiden Garcia Baker.
“I just feel lucky because I mean, I survived one of the many things that you can’t escape,” Garcia Baker said following the funeral of the victims who weren’t lucky.
Among the 10 dead were five children, the youngest of which was only 2 years old.
As the bodies were found and taken to the mortuary for next of kin to identify, the sister of the last missing man begged crews to not call off the search for her brother.
“Hector Miguel is my brother and he has to be found. They can’t stop looking until he’s found,” Carla Garnica said.
Hector Miguel Garnica was the last of the victims in the muddy debris, but the weather did not cooperate in the search.
Crews led by the Gila County Sheriff’s Office were forced to call off the search four nights.
“The weather over my right shoulder is starting to build a little bit, that is concern for us,” Det. Sgt. David Hornung said.
Five days after this tragic end to a birthday celebration, closure came for a family who in the end, just wanted their loved ones to rest in peace together. Hector's body was located.
“He has to rest in peace with his whole family. He always said I’m never leaving my children and my wife and he has to complete, he has to do his promise. He has to be with them,” Carla Garnica said.
The area of the East Verde River where this all happened has changed since then. Staff with the Tonto National Forest told 12 News they’ve added 10 signs along the watershed warning visitors of the danger of flash flooding. They said they’ve moved around terrain in an effort to break free some log jams along the river.
