Search Continues for Man After Flood Sweeps Away His Truck

Yavapai County deputies and other search teams are looking for Benny Sutton Jr., a 63-year-old Castle Hot Springs employee whose pickup was swept into a wash during flooding near Lake Pleasant. Sutton left for work and did not arrive; he has been missing since November 1.

Authorities found his truck in the wash and began searching downstream toward Lake Pleasant. At the flood’s peak, the waterway was about 200 feet across and between 6 and 8 feet deep. The water has since receded, allowing teams to travel through the area on foot and in vehicles.

Searchers have worked 16 to 18 hours a day, but officials have uncovered only a few clues that might prove significant. The effort includes ground teams, drone operators, search-and-rescue groups, swift-water specialists, air support and K9 teams from multiple agencies.

Sutton was most recently spotted near Castle Hot Springs and may be on foot. He is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 175 pounds, with gray hair and blue eyes. He was last spotted wearing tan shorts and a light blue button-up shirt bearing the resort’s logo.

Anyone with information can contact the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 7711-3260 or Yavapai Silent Witness at 1 (800) 932-3232.