Police have named the 53-year-old woman who died after her Freelander was swept down a swollen river on the North York Moors as Vanessa Robson, of Beverley, East Yorkshire. Her Freelander was swept away as she tried to negotiate a ford and later was found almost submerged and wedged under the bridge at Low Muffels. Officers said the car was thought to have gone into the water at around 12.20pm. The ford is at the end of a minor road in the heart of the North York Moors.This was more than 100 hundred yards downstream from the ford such was the power of the Hartoft beck in Cropton Forest. The ford is at the end of a minor road on the North York Moors. The discovery was made after a major search operation involving an RAF helicopter and mountain rescue teams. Police urged people to avoid rivers and fords if the water level is high. Sergeant Roy Brown, from Pickering's Neighbourhood Police Team, said investigations into the incident were continuing but it was being treated as a 'tragic accident' and the woman’s body was recovered from the beck at 4.20pm. He also said, 'I have worked in this area for the last 22 years and we do have our fair share of flooding and fords in the area, so I would urge people not to cross fords if there is a risk that the water level is high.' Police said the Land Rover had been recovered from the water on Saturday morning.
In a warning to others, David Rooke of the Environment Agency said , 'We estimate six inches of fast flowing water can knock you off your feet or can wash your car away'.
In a similar, but not as tragic, incident in Payson, Arizona, a driver got stuck in the rushing waters of Tonto Creek and had to be rescued by an ex-military vehicle, though his SUV was not as lucky. Gila County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Lieutenant Tim Scott said James Cain was attempting to cross Tonto Creek in Tonto Basin when his Discovery was overcome by the pressure of the water running down the creek. Scott said crews responded to the scene after a 911 call to say that a person was stranded in the river at the store crossing. An ex-military 6x6 2.5 ton truck was used to reach the man and rescue him from the vehicle. The Discovery was washed down the creek approximately 150 feet before it came to a stop. Driver Cain did not suffer any injuries and was successfully removed from the vehicle and taken to the side of the creek where he was checked out by the Tonto Basin Fire Department. Scott said Cain was cited for the incident because he passed a 'road closed' sign indicating high water flow down the creek. Fire crews helped a tow truck crew retreive Cain's Discovery from the creek.
