GUILTY AZ - Willa 6, Colby 5 & Austin Rawlings 5, found dead, flooded creek, parents charged, Nov 29 2019

We have dry riverbeds called washes until it rains and they become rivers. The water flows at a very fast speed. Many have crossed the do not enter when flooded only to have their bodies found 5 plus miles away.

I'd think the dad will have great remorse soon. If it says do not enter when flooded then don't.

RIP all.
 
What angers me is that here in Arizona it's a moto "turn around or drown" EVERYTIME we have a storm there is warnings after warnings, not only signs including our lite up adot signs but on the radio on TV. I was born and raised here and it has been drilled into my head "turn around or drown" I feel for this entire family but it's hard not to be angry. I believe he will be charged with something, if nothing else for disobeying traffic signs. Perhaps even having to pay for the recovery of vehicle and children. JMO IMO MOO
 
This is def negligent homicide - he made a very conscious decision to put his kids at risk. And I'm sorry but I get that sometimes fight or flight takes over but how can BOTH parents have left the kids behind? Did they rescue other kids? or was it just adults safe in the end?
 
There were nine people in this tragedy. Two adults, and seven children. The adults swam to safety, four of the seven children survived, the bodies of the two five-year olds were found. As I write, as far as I know one six-year-old child has not been found. I have no idea how the four children survived. The two adults do not want to talk about what happened. I have just two questions, how do you leave children in a vehicle in the middle of a river, which had many warning signs and multiple barricades, and how do you give an interview while your child is still missing?????? DAMN, our sweet baby Caylee Anthony is going to need a bigger rainbow for all the sweet innocent souls joining her.
 
Of course we all knew, but the search for Willa is officially a recovery instead of a rescue.

Ugh. I wish I could change the title. “Daniel & Lacey Rawlings drive around barricades to cross flooded creek, 3 children drowned.” When I started the thread I didn’t know Daniel had actually admitted to driving around the barricades and warning signs.

I hate how people (not us) are pussyfooting around the culpability of the adults and treating them with kid gloves.

The mayor has announced plans to build a bridge over the creek, which is great, but maybe in the meantime don’t drive through closed off flooded creeks with young children. Kill yourselves, fine.

Search for missing 6-year-old girl in Tonto Basin now a recovery instead of rescue
Missing young girl's pants found in Arizona creek as search continues
 
There were nine people in this tragedy. Two adults, and seven children. The adults swam to safety, four of the seven children survived, the bodies of the two five-year olds were found. As I write, as far as I know one six-year-old child has not been found. I have no idea how the four children survived. The two adults do not want to talk about what happened. I have just two questions, how do you leave children in a vehicle in the middle of a river, which had many warning signs and multiple barricades, and how do you give an interview while your child is still missing?????? DAMN, our sweet baby Caylee Anthony is going to need a bigger rainbow for all the sweet innocent souls joining her.

It appears the youngest children in the group, two five year olds and one six year old, were left to fend for themselves. Or maybe they really were in the bed of the truck and were washed away. As you said the parents aren’t talking, so we don’t know. It seems like it was an every man, woman and child for themselves type situation.
 
Even the media! I’ve seen this line in many different articles and I can’t take it any longer.

Friday afternoon, six members of the Rawlings family – two adults and four children – were rescued when the vehicle was overcome by water in the creek, according to the Gila County Sheriff's Office. The three young children had stayed in the vehicle.

Like it was the children’s choice to stay behind in the vehicle!
We’re just going to wait in the car. Y’all go on ahead.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...-missing-search-continues-arizona/4347988002/
Tonto Creek: Rawlings girl still missing; search continues in Arizona
 
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Of course we all knew, but the search for Willa is officially a recovery instead of a rescue.

Ugh. I wish I could change the title. “Daniel & Lacey Rawlings drive around barricades to cross flooded creek, 3 children drowned.” When I started the thread I didn’t know Daniel had actually admitted to driving around the barricades and warning signs.

I hate how people (not us) are pussyfooting around the culpability of the adults and treating them with kid gloves.

The mayor has announced plans to build a bridge over the creek, which is great, but maybe in the meantime don’t drive through closed off flooded creeks with young children. Kill yourselves, fine.

Search for missing 6-year-old girl in Tonto Basin now a recovery instead of rescue
Missing young girl's pants found in Arizona creek as search continues


So these parents choose to not follow the rules, and because of their choice three children die. The Dad says there needs to be more done. And so the Mayor is going to build a bridge. I wonder if the bridge will be named after the father.
 
So these parents choose to not follow the rules, and because of their choice three children die. The Dad says there needs to be more done. And so the Mayor is going to build a bridge. I wonder if the bridge will be named after the father.
I would not be ok with that JMO

I saw hundreds of people lined the streets to welcome the Rawlings family home.
 
I would not be ok with that JMO

I saw hundreds of people lined the streets to welcome the Rawlings family home.


Neither would I. There is A LOT of manpower looking for this child, while the parents give an interview, saying they do not want to talk about what happened, not to mention the money spent.
 
I'm not heartless and have been part of a child being lost to a tragic accident. However I wouldn't consider this an accident and I understand this family lost 2 of their children and one of their relatives BUT, it could have been avoided and the more details I hear the more angry I get.
 
They have deep roots in the community. They are Latter-day Saints (like Travis Alexander), and Daniel is a church leader. I can’t imagine someone not facing charges for this, but I strongly doubt he will.

Friends say the Rawlings family is heavily involved in their community and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Daniel Rawlings is a church leader and helps run a family contracting business.

His grandparents founded the area’s first movie theater in Show Low, according to old newspaper articles, and later opened a drive-in theater for recreational vehicles.

They’re loved by thousands and thousands of people,” said Merrill, one of hundreds of volunteers who joined the search on Sunday.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/
 
Residents say it’s a way of life over there, giving the impression that people drive through that creek on the daily. Are there any locals here who can confirm this?

There was also a townhall meeting about it, here are a few tidbits. Mostly more blame being heaped on others.

upload_2019-12-5_14-33-57.jpeg
Sherry Alquist speaks out during meeting.

Tonto Basin Residents Seek Solutions
(Don’t drive around barricades to cross dangerously flooded bodies of water?)

A resident suggested putting up additional signage warning non-locals to heed the flood warnings as Tonto Basin residents often know when the water's too deep to cross.

Great idea, Scooter! More signs! Bigger signs! Maybe a dome that drops around the creek when someone tries to drive across it. Also the Rawlings are a local family that you say should know when the water is too deep to cross.

There were barricades across the road at the time the truck crossed, and signs warning drivers not to cross when the creek was flooded.
(Can’t quote this enough.)

One resident at the meeting said he participated in the search effort on Saturday and complained that volunteer search crews on the eastern creek bank didn't have any help or coordination from the Sheriff's Office.

Dodd told the man that the department searched in the areas it thought had the best chance of locating Willa but asked him to share his concerns with the incident commander after the meeting.

Tonto Basin residents seek solutions days after fatal creek crossing leaves 2 kids dead and 1 missing
 

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I'm not heartless and have been part of a child being lost to a tragic accident. However I wouldn't consider this an accident and I understand this family lost 2 of their children and one of their relatives BUT, it could have been avoided and the more details I hear the more angry I get.
Oh Davia, was this your child? My heart goes out to you.
 
Oh Davia, was this your child? My heart goes out to you.
No it was an accident involving my daughter and her best friend and her friend passed. Which was also my best friends daughter. It's an unimaginable hurt and would never down play what this family has been through and will continue to go through. I really do feel they should be held accountable. JMO
 
Neither would I. There is A LOT of manpower looking for this child, while the parents give an interview, saying they do not want to talk about what happened, not to mention the money spent.
And the monies the parents are receiving, almost $50,000 so far. It doesn’t say anything about helping aid the search, it’s specifically for the family. (Who knows, they may be donating some of the money to the volunteers and the cost of the search, but I think we would have heard about it.)
 
I'm sorry but this begging for money for EVERYTHING these days is SO out of hand. Seeing people get such amounts for all these 'accidents' just makes those that are nefarious do it intentionally to reap the rewards.
 
I'm sorry but this begging for money for EVERYTHING these days is SO out of hand. Seeing people get such amounts for all these 'accidents' just makes those that are nefarious do it intentionally to reap the rewards.
I know. When I see fundraisers like these I think about all the organizations that are desperate for donations to function. Many don’t even pay themselves salaries, they exist purely on donations. I donate a paltry $20 a month to one such animal rescue organization.

The name of the fundraiser is “RAWLINGS FAMILY TONTO BASIN ACCIDENT” (They have it in all caps.)

Accident? How does ANYONE consider deliberately driving around barricades and past warning signs into a flooded, fast-moving creek with a truckload of kids an accident?
 

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