PHOENIX (AP) — The Latest on the search for a 6-year-old girl who went missing when the family's truck was inundated by surging water in an Arizona creek. (all times local):
12:45 p.m.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey says he will work to find money in next year’s state budget to help build a bridge over a rural creek where a family was swept away last week.
Two children were found dead after Friday’s incident on Tonto Creek and a search is ongoing for a missing 6-year-old girl.
The governor told reporters Tuesday that with the state in a good financial position looking at ways to fund a $20 million bridge to serve the small community is in the mix.
Gila County Sheriff’s Lt. Virgil Dodd said Tuesday that about 60 law enforcement search and rescue team members were searching for Willa Rawlings. More than 300 civilian volunteers were also involved in the search of about 5 miles of creek bed.
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8:40 a.m.
An Arizona couple whose truck was swept down a runoff-swollen creek say they are grateful to emergency personnel and volunteers searching for their missing 6-year-old daughter.
The bodies of a 5-year-old son and a 5-year-old niece of Daniel and Lacey Rawlings were found Saturday, a day after a nine-member family group tried to a cross a creek in a military-style truck.
Azfamily.com reports that the couple didn’t want to discuss what happened Friday or why they tried the cross the creek with their four children and three nieces.
However, Daniel said during an interview he would like to embrace the individual searchers.
The crossing had been closed with barricades and signs because of a storm that dropped an estimated 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain in the Tonto Basin area.
