One person is dead and one other was rescued in separate incidents during flash flooding in Yucca Valley Saturday evening. About 5:30 p.m., a man attempted to drive through a flooded wash at Barron Drive and Yucca Mesa Road as employees with the Town of Yucca Valley were putting up Road Closed signs. The force of the water pushed the car and flipped it over about 50 feet downstream. Sheriff’s Sergeant Erik Smoot said two people managed to escape from the vehicle, but the driver, identified only as an elderly white man, was trapped inside. Due to the depth and force of the flood waters, and the length of time the car had been submerged in the water, an in-water search of the vehicle was deemed too dangerous and divers from the swift water rescue team were called. Fire crews searched downstream in case the victim had freed himself. The swift water rescue team arrived at the scene about 8 p.m., and the vehicle was towed out about 10 p.m. The driver’s body was found inside the car. The coroner has not yet identified the man.
Then about 6:15 p.m., another car tried to drive through a flooded wash at Barron Drive near Paradise Park. County Fire Battalion Chief Scott Tuttle said the car stalled in the middle of the wash with water up to the car’s windows. Although the car’s windows were fogged over, firefighters could tell that someone was inside the car. Before firefighters could attempt a rescue, a Sheriff’s helicopter arrived and made a hoist rescue of Thomas Mallon, 84, of Yucca Valley, the driver and sole occupant of the car, by breaking the rear windshield. By this time, Mallon had been in the water for over an hour and had difficulty moving on his own. Detective Mark Rios pulled Mallon out through the car’s rear window and together they were hoisted to the bank of the wash; Mallon was then taken by ambulance to Hi-Desert Medical Center for treatment.
Tuttle added firefighters were called to another rescue at 5 p.m. at Kickapoo Trail and Benecia where a car got stuck in the water, but the driver had gotten out of the car on his own. Smoot added that deputies also responded to several cars that had been stuck in water or mud, but that the occupants had already gotten out.
The Fire and Sheriff’s Departments remind residents to turn around, don’t drown.
