Video shows dramatic rescue of woman swept away by floodwaters
Newly released video shows the moment first responders rescued a woman trapped in a North Las Vegas wash Thursday night as monsoon rains drenched and flooded parts of the valley.
In the footage captured on police body cameras and released Monday, the 56-year-old woman appeared to struggle to hold onto a concrete pillar of the Lower Las Vegas Wash Trail, which was partially filled with turbulent, running water.
North Las Vegas firefighters and officers threw her a rope and pulled her out of the wash before they carried her to safety, according to the videos.
Police said that someone saw the woman get swept by the water about 10 p.m. near Craig Ranch Park and called 911.
People who called police reported that the woman was screaming and floating away, according to an incident report.
The water was reported to be moving quickly and traveling between 20 and 30 mph, the report said.
Police said the woman was found near Losee Road, about 2 miles away from where emergency crews were first requested.
The fire department said Thursday that the woman was taken to University Medical Center with minor injuries.
The storms that day dropped 0.32 inches of rain at Harry Reid International Airport, an officials National Weather Service measuring station, but the Regional Flood Control District reported up to an inch of rain near the Strip, in downtown Las Vegas and the outskirts of the valley.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @rickytwrites.
