By admin 
OAK CREEK CANYON, AZ (AZFamily) — Dozens of campers became stranded at Cave Springs Campground in Oak Creek Canyon after flash flooding left a bridge crossing underwater and impassable.
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Officials reported 65 people were stranded on Monday evening. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Forest Service are continuing to monitor the water levels.
The campground, located along State Route 89A on the north side of Sedona, received nearly three inches of rain over the previous 48 hours. The water and debris made it impossible for vehicles to cross the bridge leading out of the campground.
There is no timeframe for when campers will get the all-clear to leave from authorities, but one camper told Arizona’s Family on Tuesday evening that some campers were able to make their way out after water levels receded far enough that the bridge was visible once again.
“Campers will be able to begin evacuating the area once water levels recede to a safe level, debris is cleared from the bridge, and the bridge has been inspected to confirm it is safe for vehicle traffic,” Meg Miller with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
‘The only option we have is to ride it out’
Tanja Hooper, who was camping with her husband Matthew, said the group was packing up to leave Monday morning when a campground worker stopped them.
“One of the workers came up to us right as we were getting ready to break down our tent,” Hooper told Arizona’s Family. “He said, ‘Don’t take it down. You can’t get out.’”
Hooper said the water had been receding Sunday, but more overnight rain caused Oak Creek to rise again by Monday morning.
“Right now, the only option we have is to ride it out until the water goes down and they can clear the bridge,” Hooper said. “A lot of the debris is in the middle of it.”
Despite the unexpected delay, Hooper said everyone at the campground is safe and in good spirits, crediting campground hosts for stepping up to help those who may be running low on supplies.
“We have plenty of water, but we ate our last dinner last night,” Hooper said. “I know the camp hosts have been amazing. They said everybody would get together and we would kind of share if need be.”
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Later Tuesday, an Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter arrived to drop off food and supplies to the stranded campers.
“Today has been okay. We had rations. We had our helicopter drive down and bring us food and they took care of us with what we needed,” said Mary Lucero, another stranded camper.
Preparing for the unexpected
Dale Stewart, the owner of Arizona Hiking Shack, said for anyone who goes camping or hiking, the process starts well before the trip begins.
“I always learned early on that the more you plan and prepare, the more success you’re going to have,” Stewart said.
Stewart said campers should always ask several questions and prepare depending on the answers. What elevation are you hiking or camping at? What part of Arizona? What time of the year? And always check the weather before going.
Stewart said he’s been stuck before himself while climbing, and he knows the feeling and describes the unknown as frightening.
“You always want to take extra supplies, an extra day or two of groceries, and extra blankets, water, because you never know when you have a broke-down car or a situation such as we have in Oak Creek Canyon,” he said.
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