A Colorado couple and their pets spent about 11 hours trapped inside their RV after floodwaters swept it down a river in Archuleta County, prompting a rescue operation involving sheriffs deputies, search and rescue personnel, and the Colorado Army National Guard.
Hank and Stacey Wills said they believed they could survive another flood at their property after experiencing high water the previous year. But as heavy rain continued last Friday, the water rose faster than they expected, eventually sweeping their RV into the river in an area southeast of Pagosa Springs along County Road 339.
We kind of knew this flood was coming, Hank Wills explained during a Teams call this week. We had the warnings that it was supposed to be raining pretty heavily and everything was saturated."
The couple had spent the previous day preparing their property, adding sandbags and tarps to protect their home and trying to move their animals to safety. They also received an evacuation warning from a sheriffs deputy. But as the water began overtopping their sandbag wall, the couple decided to leave in their RV with their pets. They initially believed they had enough time to escape after monitoring water levels at an upstream diversion dam. However, additional rain between the gauge and their property caused the water to rise faster than anticipated.
We were maybe a little braver than we should have been, obviously, Wills added.
The couples RV stalled while crossing the flooded roadway at about 10:30 p.m. Thursday after water entered the engines air intake. They called for a tow truck, but the driver could not reach them because bridges had been closed. Archuleta County sheriffs Deputy Craig Tamburelli arrived at the scene at about 2:15 a.m. Friday and found the RV submerged over its hood in fast-moving water.
Torelli threw a rope to Wills and instructed him to secure it to something sturdy inside the vehicle. The deputy then secured the line on the shore and began looking for ways to reach the stranded couple. About 20 minutes later, the water began undermining the RV, causing it to tilt toward the river.
Then the RV lifted and lurched, Wills said.
The movement ripped a table from its mounting inside the vehicle, and the RV was swept into the river. The couple said it briefly tipped onto its side before moving downstream, with water pouring inside. Wills watched through a window as the vehicle traveled down the river while Stacey Wills tried to keep their three dogs calm and safe.
I just kept praying, you know, Heavenly Father, please just let us catch something, land us somewhere, he said.
The RV eventually struck an obstruction in the river, tearing off its front axle and pushing it out of the main channel. It slid across the ground before crashing into the couples own fence, about 75 yards from their home.
The couple and their pets survived, but the RV remained on its side, leaving them stranded as water and rain continued to threaten their shelter. Wills climbed out a window to signal passing vehicles on a nearby highway, hoping someone would see them. Deputies and search and rescue personnel continued looking for a safe way to reach the RV. But the rushing water and washed-out roads prevented rescuers from approaching from either side.
Archuleta County sheriffs Deputy Director Stanley Okazaki said he arrived around 6 a.m. Friday with a drone equipped with thermal imaging, a microphone and a light. The drone allowed rescuers to communicate instructions to Wills and monitor the couple while they waited for a helicopter rescue. Because crews could not safely reach the couple by land, officials coordinated with the Colorado Army National Guard and Rocky Mountain Rescue Team to bring in a Black Hawk helicopter equipped with a hoist. Rescuers monitored Stacey Wills condition as the operation continued. She was cold but remained stable, Ozaki said.
The helicopter arrived Friday morning, and the couple and their pets were transported to Stevens Field Airport in Pagosa Springs. The rescue took about 45 minutes once the helicopter arrived, according to Ozaki.
The couple said they spent about 11 hours trapped inside the RV, trying to stay warm and keep their animals out of the rising water. At one point, they feared one of their cats had escaped through a window. They eventually discovered the cat trapped inside a drawer. Despite the frightening ordeal, the couple said their dogs and cats remained relatively calm.
Hank and Stacey Wills expressed gratitude to the deputies, search and rescue personnel and National Guard members who helped bring them to safety.
I can't thank them enough for the hard work that they put in, Hank Wills said. Putting their lives on the line for other people is... you guys are pretty incredible.
Looking back, the couple said the experience reinforced the importance of taking evacuation warnings seriously, even when conditions initially appear manageable.
When they say go, just go, Hank Wills said.
The couple is staying with family while assessing damage to their property. They said floodwaters did not enter their home, although outbuildings were damaged and mud and debris remain around the property. They also said animals they had feared were lost in the flooding survived. For now, they are focused on recovery and hoping future storms do not bring another round of dangerous flooding.
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