Monsoon Rains Strand Hikers

Firefighters in helicopters pulled stranded hikers from the tops of trail-side bathrooms and rescued pigs in wheelbarrows as monsoon rains pounded Arizona. The Catalina Mountains in southern Arizona were hit the hardest, as 6 inches of rain fell overnight. The rushing water washed away large sections of Catalina Highway, the only paved road down the mountains. Within hours, a 7-foot wall of water rushed through Sabino Canyon, snapping small trees in half. Several hikers hid inside public toilets and were later stranded as the water spilled over the cemented trails. A rescue helicopter eventually plucked the hikers from the tops of the wilderness bathrooms. Firefighters grabbed three oversized gray pigs and pushed them to safety in wheelbarrows.