Mesa boy recovering after being swept away in flooded canal
Jul 24, 2017, 3:25 PM
The canal near Ray and Ellsworth roads is shown in this January 2017 photo. (Google Maps)
(Google Maps)
PHOENIX — A boy was recovering Monday after falling into a Mesa canal swollen by rain that carried him for several hundred yards.
Mesa Fire Department spokesman Forrest Smith said the 11-year-old boy got out of the canal near Ray and Ellsworth roads just before 11 a.m.
A woman who passed by reported seeing someone fall into the canal. Emergency responders set up perimeters at several locations, but the boy was able to get out of the water on his own. Aerial video showed a police officer carrying the boy to safety.
“He was able to get himself to the side of the canal and actually get himself out, at which point an officer was there to further assist him getting out of the water,” Smith said.
The boy only sustained minor injuries in the swift-moving water because he remained in a seated position.
“When he got out, he had a great deal of abrasions as well as some bruises as a result of making contact with the bottom of the canal as a result of trying to get out because the water was moving pretty rapidly,” Smith said.
The incident happened during a monsoon rainstorm. Authorities have had to conduct several rescues this week as rains have trapped drivers and hikers around the state.
KTAR News’ Nailea Leon and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
