Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Forest Patrol personnel, and volunteer search and rescue teams responded to three separate incidents on New Year’s Day 2026, as stormy weather created hazardous conditions across the region.
The most complex of these operations began around 6 p.m. on January 1 near Bumble Bee Road, southwest of Sunset Point. A 55-year-old male hiker fell from a ledge and suffered a serious leg injury. Local flooding made it impossible to transport the injured man by ground, while cold temperatures and steady rain increased the risk of hypothermia for both the hiker and rescuers. The search and rescue team stayed with the injured hiker overnight, maintaining a fire to keep warm in difficult conditions.
Weather conditions prevented air support at first, grounding helicopters and forcing several rescue attempts to be aborted due to unsafe flying conditions. Deputies coordinated with the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA) to request a military Blackhawk helicopter. After a night spent coordinating efforts on the mountain, the Blackhawk crew was able to airlift the patient at 7:45 a.m. on January 2 and transfer him to medical personnel.
While this operation was ongoing, deputies also handled two other incidents after sundown:
In Wickenburg at about 6:20 p.m., deputies responded to Blue Tank Wash where a female hiker had become lost. A Forest Patrol deputy found her and escorted her safely back to her vehicle.
In Sedona at approximately 6:30 p.m., another deputy located a lost male hiker on a trail and brought him safely out.
“The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Daisy Mountain Fire Dept, our excellent volunteer search and rescue teams (4×4 unit, Verde SAR, Back Country, and Jeep Posse), and DEMA for their assistance in these operations,” said officials from YCSO.
