‘She only had about a minute left’: Firefighters rescue woman caught in flash flood

LAS VEGAS (KVVU/Gray News) - First responders in the Las Vegas area say they were able to rescue a woman who got caught in rushing floodwaters last week.

“They said she only had about a minute left to hold on. She looked like she was in rough shape,” said Clark County Fire Department Capt. Travis Grove.

Firefighters and police officers responded to the scene near Craig Ranch Park after a monsoon storm moved through the area.

KVVU reports people called emergency crews when they saw the woman in the water and heard her screaming.

Firefighters said the water was rushing up to 30 mph and think the woman might have been floating in the water for nearly two miles.

Authorities said the woman was able to cling to a pillar when rescuers threw her a rope.

“It was on her. She tried to bite it with her teeth as her arms were stuck. Somehow, she grabbed the rope. We didn’t think she’d have enough energy,” Grove said.

Rescuers said they were able to bring the woman to safe ground. She was taken to the hospital and later released.

Officials didn’t immediately release how the woman ended up in the wash, but firefighters said the rescue is a clear example of why people should stay out of wash areas.

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