1997 disaster still haunts Page
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A father is still missing and nine family members are dead after a massive flash flood ripped through a popular swimming hole in the Tonto National Forest last weekend.
Often referred to as Cold Springs, the area is a popular spot for people looking to escape the Arizona summer heat. The family members, all from Phoenix, were celebrating a birthday and relaxing along the stream banks when a six-foot high, 40-foot wide wave descended from upstream. The ages of the deceased range between 2 and 60 years old.
The Associated Press reported other swimmers and people in the area were clinging to trees as rescue crews arrived at the scene. As of Tuesday morning, crews and surviving family members were still searching for a missing man. His wife and three children were listed among the deceased.
A gofundme set up by a friend of the family to help with funeral costs can be reached at gofundme.com/please-help-out-hector-and-family. Roughly $56,000 of a $50,000 goal had been reached by Monday evening. The account appeared to have been closed at the time this issue of the Chronicle went to press, but many commenters and other friends of the family have been asking for it to be reopened so more people can donate.
Page-area residents are no strangers to flash flooding, as monsoon rains often affect the city and the countless canyons, washes and ingresses that surround it.
Perhaps the most infamous was a flash flood at Antelope Canyon that resulted in the deaths of 11 hikers.