The body of missing Cottonwood teenager Faith Moore has been found, authorities announced at a press conference July 28.
After four days of searching, search and rescue crews found Moore’s body the afternoon of July 28 on the bank of the Verde River. She was discovered not far from where the river meets the wash where the 16-year-old was swept away by a flash flood the evening of July 24, Cottonwood Police Chief Steve Gesell announced at Wednesday’s press conference.
“Miracles come in all sizes. I’m here to announce tonight that, certainly lightyears away from the miracle that we were hoping for of finding Faith alive and well, we have recovered her body along the banks of the Verde River,” he said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the entire Moore family. … All the volunteers that are out there, I thank you personally. The gentlemen behind me, thank you. I cannot express our gratitude for the dedication and the efforts that came together to enable us to achieve this small miracle today.”
Moore called 911 around 9:40 p.m. on Saturday and told dispatchers she was stranded in her car, which was stuck in water that was up to her knees.
When crews from the Verde Valley Fire, Cottonwood Fire and Cottonwood Police Departments arrived at the intersection of Camino Real and Arrowhead Lane where the incident was first reported to have taken place, they did not find a vehicle. With flashlights, they searched the nearby wash in the dark and were able to locate the blue sedan.
During the rescue attempt, the driver was swept out of her vehicle by the water and washed downstream.
“They did see the silhouette of an individual in the vehicle when they located it, and they were working to get closer to that vehicle to try to make a rescue,” Verde Valley Fire Chief Daniel Johnson said at a press conference July 25. “By the time they were able to get into a position to try to assess the vehicle, they looked in the vehicle, the door was open and she was no longer in the vehicle.”
The region reportedly received 3 inches of rain in an hour following her disappearance, raising the water levels from approximately 2 feet to 8 feet.
“The water was so great where Faith was that we couldn’t get vehicles across it, and we actually had to use an armored vehicle to get across it,” Cottonwood PD Operations Commander Chris Dowell said at Wednesday’s press conference. “We were able to effectively use that to shuttle fire personnel to the other side of the wash and ferry firemen over there so they could attempt a rescue and the immediate search.”
Since she’s been missing, crews from VVFD, Cottonwood Fire and Police departments, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, Copper Canyon Fire, the Sedona Fire District, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Guardian Air, the Prescott National Forest, the U.S. Border Patrol, the National Guard, the Gila County Sheriff’s Department and volunteers from the community have searched the area 24 hours a day using ground, water, air and K9 resources.
In all, a total of 580 search and rescue volunteers helped in the search, Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes said at the press conference.
“I would like to say just a couple of things that I don’t think get enough notice or recognition, which is the amount of community support that we saw for this search and this rescue. People didn’t believe for a minute that this would ever be the outcome even as the minutes ticked on, and we appreciate that they stuck with it,” he said. “That’s their dedication is to make sure that one way or another, Faith came home. … I appreciate the community for the work that they did, and, more than anything, for the volunteers and our staff that never gave up.”
Moore is the granddaughter of recently retired Verde Valley Fire Chief Joe Moore and retired Verde Valley Ambulance Chief Kim Moore. She is also the niece of an active Cottonwood firefighter.
Dowell shared a statement written by Faith Moore’s parents at Wednesday’s press conference:
“Chris and Katie wish to thank all the family, friends, public safety and community that have been with us relentlessly to bring Faith home. The love, prayers and support has been overwhelming and appreciated. Humbly, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Faith is now home.”
A Faith Moore Rescue and Support Updates page has been created on Facebook with links to a GoFundMe, Meal Train and other resources for those wishing to help the Moore family during this time.
