Homeless man rescued from wash

Friday, April 30, 1999 | 11:15 a.m.

A Clark County Fire Department rescue team saved a homeless man from being swept away by water rushing more than 25 mph down the Flamingo Wash early this morning.

Steady rainfall that began around 6 p.m. Thursday and continued through 6 a.m. today created the raging water in the wash and closed a number of Las Vegas streets for a brief period this morning.

Areas closed due to flooding included the Charleston Underpass, at Charleston Boulevard and Interstate 15, Western Avenue south of Wyoming Avenue, Western Avenue at Wall Street and Utah Avenue at Commerce Street.

All streets were open by 9:30 a.m., officials said.

Fire Department spokesman Bob Leinbach said 47-year-old David Shay had been sleeping in a sleeping bag in the Flamingo Wash when he was caught up in the rapidly rising stream of water.

"Water moving at a rate of 7 mph makes it difficult to resist," Leinbach said, noting that the water in the wash was moving at 25-30 mph.

He said Shay managed to get out of his sleeping bag and climb onto a 6-inch ledge on the abutment about 20 feet below Maryland Parkway between Twain and Tropicana avenues, where four channels of water converged.

"The water was rushing over his feet," Leinbach said.

He said Shay was stranded around 1:20 a.m. Someone called the fire department around 2:30 a.m.

Leinbach said Capt. Harold Wyatt, of Station 23, saved the homeless man, using a harness.

Other rescue workers were stationed above the site to stop debris, such as tires and shopping carts, and others were stationed below the site in case Shay went into the water.

The water rose about 2 feet during the hour-long rescue operation, Leinbach said.

He said Shay was suffering from hypothermia and was taken to University Medical Center for treatment.

National Weather Service spokesman John Adair said there would continue to be intermittent rainfall today, but clearing skies Saturday.

He said a reading by the service indicated that 1 3/4 inches of rain fell in the area of the Flamingo Wash at Decatur Boulevard.

Adair said the Flamingo Wash starts south of Tropicana Avenue, south of the Spanish Trail Detention Basin, and continues northwest through the Imperial Palace and Caesars Palace and east to the Las Vegas Wash at Flamingo Road.

Adair said most of the rain fell on the west side of the valley, generally 1/2 inch but as high as 3/4 inch in some places.

Henderson received 1/4 inch, as did the northeast side of town, Adair said.

"There will be periods of raid today, decreasing this afternoon," he said.

There is a snow advisory above the 5,000-foot level.

Thursday's high temperature of 56 degrees set a record for the valley. The previous lowest high temperature for April 29 had been 62, set in 1951.

The high today is expected to be 63. The normal high for this time of year is 82.

According to the National Weather Service, the cooler temperatures are because of a series of low pressure systems that have settled in the area.