David Hayes Sr., a 66-year-old Marine veteran, narrowly survived deadly flash floods in Globe, Arizona, after water swept his RV trailer a half-mile, pinning his leg and forcing him to crawl out of a broken back window to reach safety.
Flash floods that struck last week were deadly, claiming the lives of three people. Now, we are hearing from a man who says he barely made it out alive.The floods began Sept. 26 and lasted through the weekend.
David Hayes Sr., a 66-year-old Marine veteran, broke his leg attempting to get to safety. Hayes was inside his trailer at an RV park when the creek overflowed, sending water rushing into the park and damaging trailers and motor homes caught underneath a bridge."I'm thinking I'm going to die. I say, I'm going to die," Hayes said.The veteran, who served from 1979 to 1985, has lived in Globe, Arizona, for 40 years and describes last week's flooding as the scariest moment of his life."I came home that day, and it started down here with a few, maybe, 5–6 inches of water running through the creek, and it was at a steady pace then out. Next thing I know, all hell broke loose out. I'm hearing all this hail hit the trailer," Hayes recalled.Next came the thunder, and the amount of water in the creek next to Gila County RV Park had doubled."And then by that time I looked out the window. The water started rushing in from the back of the trailer. I mean, an enormous rate. It probably didn't take it two, three minutes to fill up in that trailer," Hayes said.He attempted to get to higher ground but couldn't.As he was moving toward the door, the automatic pop-out on the trailer suddenly locked in, pinning his leg between the kitchen counter and the crushed-in section. While stuck, his trailer shifted roughly a half-mile without him even knowing."I reached out, I asked for, and I did loudly, to God," Hayes said. He believes he received an immediate response that gave him the strength to free his leg from the wreckage.His mission to survive continued. With a broken leg, he used a flashlight to break his back window, managed to crawl out, and got on top of his trailer. He then climbed a wall and a fence to reach higher ground, where a driver spotted him and offered a ride.READ: Gila County residents urged to assess damage as flooding continuesSince then, support has been pouring in from the community, including free meals, clothing and a paid hotel room at the Knights Inn."This is what family, friends is about when you're in this type of position, and they don't have much themselves, but they're going to be willing to help you," Hayes said.Hayes said he is thankful he wasn't watching his two granddaughters the day of the flood."They knew that I was missing. They cried," he said. "The minute I called them on Saturday, and they heard my voice, I wish you could have heard them."Hayes plans to see a doctor about his leg on Monday.He is currently staying at the Nights Inn Globe, and those who wish to help can drop off donations at Room 117.
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