NM Firefighters Rescue Person for Fast-Moving Arroyo

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Firefighters rescued one person and are still looking for another after two people were seen floating down arroyos in Northeast Albuquerque Tuesday afternoon as heavy rains hit the area.

Albuquerque Fire Rescue Lt. Tom Ruiz said fire crews pulled a person out of the arroyo near Washington and Cutler.

He said AFR is still searching for another person spotted around 5 p.m. in an arroyo near Interstate 25 and Jefferson.

It was initially reported that three people had been swept away, but Ruiz said they believe that is because one person was inaccurately reported as two to dispatch.

Rescue teams could be seen on the sides of the arroyo along Paseo del Norte as they scanned the rushing waters for people.

The National Weather Service had issued a flash flood warning for Bernalillo County shortly before the people were spotted.

As the area experienced heavy rains, the agency advised that flash flooding may occur in northern Albuquerque, southwestern Rio Rancho, Corrales, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, the North Valley, Sandia Heights, Paradise Hills and Alameda.

"Arroyos, streams, and normally dry rivers can become raging killer currents in a matter of minutes," the NWS alert advisory reads. "Water in arroyos can travel many miles and take hours to reach your location from upstream rain areas."

Tuesday's rescue efforts come on the heels of a similar incident last week in which three others were swept away in arroyos following a flash flood. Those three men died, and their bodies were subsequently recovered.

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