AFR Rescues Woman from Arroyo in Swift Water Incident

Albuquerque –

Around 2:25 PM, Albuquerque Fire Rescue (AFR), Bernalillo County Fire Rescue (BCFR), and Albuquerque Police Department (APD) responded to a swift water rescue incident along Interstate 40, near Pennsylvania. Initial reports indicated that an individual was swept into the arroyo and was reportedly tethered to a shopping cart, according to multiple 911 callers.

AFR’s Station 13 made visual contact with a female near I-40 and Morningside. Despite immediate rescue attempts, fire crews were unable to remove the woman at that location due to the fast-moving water.

It is believed that AFR personnel from Station 4 were able to deploy a flotation device, possibly a buoy, to the female at one of the arroyos on Menaul.

At approximately 2:55 PM, crews from AFR’s Station 9 successfully recovered the woman from an arroyo channel near Montgomery. Rescue 19 transported her to a local area hospital for further evaluation and treatment.

Crews from Albuquerque Fire Rescue, Bernalillo County Fire Rescue, and officers from the Albuquerque Police Department worked seamlessly together, demonstrating strong interagency coordination and a rapid, effective response in locating the woman in the arroyo, with AFR successfully carrying out the swift water rescue.

Just a friendly reminder to stay out of arroyos, especially during rainstorms. They can fill up rapidly with fast-moving water, creating extremely dangerous and potentially deadly conditions. Even if an arroyo appears dry, flash flooding can happen suddenly and without warning.

Photo from the NMDOT/NMROADS traffic camera showing the arroyo at I-40 and Louisiana during the swift water rescue operations.