Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023 | 9:57 p.m.
The Clark County Fire Department responded to two incidents of people being washed away by storm water in the Las Vegas Valley on Wednesday night after about half an inch of rain fell in the area.
One victim was rescued by the department near Winnick Avenue and Koval Lane around 9 p.m. Three other possible victims appeared to have escaped the flash flooding without needing assistance from emergency personnel.
The fire department first responded to Winnick and Koval after receiving a report of three people caught in the Flamingo wash. One man was found on the edge of rapidly moving water, a CCFD report says. Fire personnel were able to assist the man out of the water.
The man told responders that another man and woman were swept downstream. The department received additional reports of another person in the same wash.
As crews worked downstream along the wash with swift-water rescue equipment they encountered a witness who claimed to see two people climb out of the water. Those people matched the description from the original report. CCFD personnel never made contact with the three victims.
Firefighters responded to a second swift-water incident about 9:23 p.m. at Boulder Highway and Sahara Avenue. A witness reported seeing at least one person in rapidly moving water in the area.
Metro and Clark County Public Safety were already on the scene when fire officials arrived. The three agencies spread along the wash from Boulder Highway to Nellis Boulevard. Crews remained positioned downstream to at least Sloan Road. Metro Police also was utilized its air unit in attempt to locate individuals.
Fire personnel continued to patrol Flamingo wash from Nellis to Desert Inn Road Thursday morning. No one was found.
“The water in Clark County’s storm drains and washes moves at an alarming and dangerous rate and many times without warning,” the release says. “Victims can be carried downstream faster than emergency responders receive the call and could react. After storm water moves through washes, the debris piles remaining are extensive and reveal areas where a victim moving in the water could have been caught and hidden from crews searching during the event or afterwards. It is always recommended to stay out of washes and storm drains regardless of weather reports and sky conditions.”
