New Mexico State Police rescue man from Albuquerque arroyo

Two New Mexico State Police officers pulled an exhausted man from an Albuquerque arroyo west of Carlisle Boulevard after someone flagged down an officer for help. The rescue drew Albuquerque Fire Rescue, Bernalillo County Fire Rescue, Albuquerque police and paramedics to the channel as crews worked to get the man out safely.

The man was found in the water west of Carlisle, and an officer had to carry him after the rescue because he was so exhausted, according to the video and scene details captured by KOB. Albuquerque Ambulance later transported him to a hospital.

Albuquerque Fire Rescue said the call came in near Carlisle and the Embudo/North Diversion Channel, where crews were sent to assigned spots along the arroyo system after reports that someone had been swept away. Lt. Jason Fejer said rescuers stayed in place until the water receded, then cleared the area after confirming no other victims were found. Someone had also reported a woman and possibly a dog in the water, but officials did not confirm that report.

The rescue landed in a part of the city where flood danger can build quickly. The City of Albuquerque says monsoon season runs from June 15 through September 30, and it warns that arroyos, ditches and channels can become dangerous in a hurry. City flood safety guidance says water in arroyos can move at 3 to 30 mph and that flash flooding can strike within minutes in some terrain.

City materials also say Albuquerque has more than 5,000 acres within Special Flood Hazard Areas and more than 700 buildings in those zones. The city warns residents not to drive, swim or play in arroyos, ditches or channels, and says flash floods are the nation’s leading weather-related killer. Ditch safety guidance from the city says water in these channels can carry people away, which makes quick intervention by bystanders and emergency crews especially important when someone appears stranded near a drainage corridor.

Albuquerque Fire Rescue says its firefighters and paramedics responded to more than 108,000 calls for service in 2022, a reminder of how often the city’s emergency system is called into fast-moving situations like the one near Carlisle and the North Diversion Channel.