Members of the travel and tourism industry in Central Arizona have created a fundraising site to help with the burial and other expenses incurred by the extended family (they number 10) of Selia Garcia who were killed by the flash flood that occurred on July 15 at the Cold Springs swimming area in the Tonto National Forest, near Payson, which is about 90 miles north/northeast of Phoenix. A sudden six-foot tall, 40-foot wide torrent of murky water that carried tree trunks and logs rolled through the area at 45 miles an hour, sweeping away the victims, who had no time to fathom what was happening.
Several family members worked at well-known area businesses, including the Horny Toad, El Encanto, Harold’s Cave Creek Corral, Buffalo Chip Saloon and Carefree Resort.
The matriarch of the family, Selia Garcia, was well known and warmly regarded in Carefree. Here is an excerpt of a Facebook tribute posted by her friend and colleague, Terri Zimmer, senor sales manager at Carefree Resort & Conference Center:
“Selia Garcia was a beautiful kind woman that I had the privilege of working with for several years. She always had a smile on her face. She was one of the ten victims who lost their lives in the Payson flash flood last weekend. The lives of her two daughters, her son, and five grandchildren were also taken. The flood also left four other members of her family injured and her son-in-law is still missing.”
For information on making a contribution, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/selia-garcia-family
