1 Shoe Found In Tonto Basin Search For Girl Swept Out Of Vehicle

ARIZONA — The search continued Monday for missing 6-year-old Willa Rawlings in the Tonto Basin area northeast of Phoenix, with a Sunday search party finding one shoe that they believe might be Willa's.

Willa, her brother Colby, 5, and their cousin Austin, also 5, were swept out of the family’s military-style vehicle Friday afternoon as Willa’s parents attempted to drive the family across a flooded creek crossing. Four other children and Willa’s father, Daniel, were rescued from an island, while Willa’s mother, Lacey, was rescued from the shore, according to news reports. Willa, Colby and Austin, however, remained in the car and were swept away by fierce floodwaters.

Although Colby’s and Austin’s bodies were recovered Saturday morning, the search continued again Sunday with an intensive hunt for Willa. The search, conducted by more than 300 volunteers and professionals, finally turned up something around dusk. Lt. Virgil Dodd of the Gila County Sheriff’s Office told The Arizona Republic,“There was a shoe in the area where there was some interest [by search dogs] in that debris. At this time, we believe that it may belong to the little girl that we’re searching for.” It was found about 200 yards from the family vehicle’s sticking place two days earlier.

Officials said vehicles often drive through flooded crossings along Tonto Creek but that this is the first fatal situation in several years. In the case of the Rawlings family— driving at the Bix X crossing from a relative’s house where they had gathered for Thanksgiving — there are two routes: cross where the Rawlings did, taking up to 15 minutes, or follow a highway route, which might take about two hours.

According to Fox News, a National Weather Service flood warning was active for the Tonto Basin area since just before 9 a.m. Friday, with some of the floodwaters coming from almost 2 inches of rain and some from nearby mountain peak water runoff. The Big X crossing had signs and barricades indicating it was closed, authorities told Fox News.

The Gila County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting an investigation, and authorities will decide if Lacey and Daniel Rawlings will face charges.

David Merrill — a volunteer with a Pinetop Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints group who joined Sunday’s search for Willa — said he has known the Rawlings family for about 30 years. “The Rawlings family are a fixture,” Merrill told The Arizona Republic. “They’re the salt of the earth, and they have done so much. Little League, school … volunteers for football … whatever it took, they’ve been in the middle of it.”

The search for Willa resumed Monday morning. She was last seen wearing a purple jacket and jeans.

Anyone wanting to help the Rawlings family can do so by accessing “The Rawlings Family Accident” GoFundMe page and making a donation.

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