Boy survived floods by cutting car air bag, jumping off roof
HILDALE, Utah -- One of the children who survived deadly flash flooding in a small polygamous town on the Utah-Arizona border told an official he escaped by cutting through an air bag, climbing out a window and jumping off the roof of a vehicle.
Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, who traveled to the community of Hildale, told The Associated Press that the boy appeared traumatized when he met with him briefly Tuesday.
At least 12 people died when two vehicles were swept away by raging floodwaters Monday. Three survived, including the boy, and one child remains missing.
Cox says the boy he spoke with "was still very shaken, as you can imagine, because it was a little surreal to him and everyone."
Cox says the boy's mother and several siblings died in the flooding.
Meanwhile, seven hikers who entered a narrow desert canyon for a day of canyoneering became trapped when a flash flood filled the chasm with water, killing at least six of them in Zion National Park in southern Utah, officials said Wednesday.
The Ventura County Sheriff's Office in California said late Wednesday that one of its sergeants, Steve Arthur, died in the flooding and was positively identified, reports CBS Salt Lake City affiliate KUTV. The department also said Arthur's wife, Linda, was with him and is still missing.
"Steve was known for his tireless efforts working with local youth both on and off duty and possessed a huge compassion for humanity," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "Steve is survived by his three adult children and seven grandchildren."