Missing Man’s Body Recovered After He Was Swept Away By Floodwaters: ‘Holding Onto the Love, Strength and Memories He Gave Us’

A man was reported missing after floodwaters engulfed his pickup truck on Sunday, Oct. 12, in Buckeye, Arizona.

Authorities confirmed that the body of Vincent Upton, 42, was recovered the following day, Monday, Oct. 13. According to a news release from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), a call came in around 3:30 a.m. Sunday reporting that a vehicle had been swept away while attempting to cross floodwaters in Waterman Wash.

Deputies arrived within 30 minutes and found Upton’s truck “heavily damaged.” No one was inside, and the vehicle appeared empty of belongings, according to ABC15.

A local woman who discovered the truck told the outlet, “The windshield was kicked out, so he did get out of the vehicle.”

The MCSO launched a large-scale search operation involving command staff, five search and rescue coordinators, four drone pilots, multiple deputies, a flood control specialist, a K-9 unit, and nearly two dozen volunteers from various divisions, ABC15 reported.

Upton’s body was eventually found on Monday around 1:20 p.m., “a considerable distance from the found vehicle,” according to the MCSO. Officials later confirmed his identity and stated that recovery efforts were complicated by difficult terrain and worsening weather.

“Due to the difficult terrain, conditions, and incoming weather, MCSO Deputies are currently working on extracting Vincent from the location utilizing our aviation unit,” the sheriff’s office said.

Jimmy Williams, a friend of Upton, spoke with ABC15 about the area’s infrastructure and the dangers of Waterman Wash — a tributary of the Gila River known to flood heavily during rainstorms.

“In this area, there is only one way in and one way out,” Williams explained. “People try to cross [Waterman Wash] to get home. When it rains and floods, if your home is on this side or that side, you’re stuck — can’t get out, can’t get to work, nothing. There needs to be some development here in the roads.”

Friend Jamie Williams described Upton as “the life of the party, always making everyone laugh and joking. He is a force to be reckoned with, that’s for sure.”

A GoFundMe page was created to support Upton’s family with funeral expenses. The fundraiser describes him as “a loving husband, father, uncle, and friend — the kind of person who would drop everything to help someone else.”

“He was someone you could always count on, with a heart as big as his laugh and a presence that filled every room,” the page reads. “Our hearts are broken, but we’re holding onto the love, strength, and memories he gave us.”