The body of a Kentucky mom who vanished after being swept away by a flash flood in an Arizona canyon was recovered on Sunday.
Heather Rutledge, her husband, and three sons were hiking in Labyrinth Canyon near the Arizona-Utah border when the flash flood hit the area Saturday afternoon.
The 43-year-old drowned and was later located by her family but the scene was too swampy that they couldn’t remove her out of the waters.
A boater came to the family’s rescue but recovery efforts were delayed to the next morning due to the bad weather conditions.
Park rangers along with Coconino County Sheriff’s Office deputies were unable to kayak through the debris. Rescuers had to swim to get to Rutledge’s body.
The medical examiner is determining an official cause of death.
