Kentucky mom found dead after getting caught in flash flood in Arizona canyon

close

Video

Fox News Flash top headlines for August 3

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

A Kentucky mother was found dead last weekend after she and her family were swept away by a flash flood in a canyon near the Arizona-Utah border, according to reports. 

Heather Rutledge, 43, of Louisville, was hiking with her husband and three sons Saturday in the Labyrinth Canyon area in Page, Arizona, when they were all caught in an afternoon flash flood.

Rutledge reportedly drowned and was found dead at Lake Powell, while the rest of the family survived, according to the Coconino County Sheriff's Office. 

SOUTHWEST, ROCKIES FACE HEAVY RAIN AND FLOOD RISK THIS WEEK

Lake Powell is shown from an airplane window on March 30, 2015, in Page, Arizona.  (Getty Images)

Rutledge's family found her body Saturday, but were unable to move it through the swampy water, the Arizona Daily Sun reported. The family tried to find help but discovered their boat was damaged, the report said. 

They were eventually rescued by another boater, but authorities said the recovery operation was postponed until the next morning, due to weather concerns and the possibility of another flash flood.

COLORADO FLOODING KILLS 1, MUDSLIDES BLOCK ROADWAYS AS FLASH FLOODS FORCE RESCUES IN SOUTHEAST

On Sunday morning, park rangers and sheriff’s deputies encountered flood debris that prevented them from kayaking through the remaining portion of the canyon, the Daily Sun reported. 

Rutledge's body was recovered after rescuers swam through the heavy debris. 

The body was turned over to the county medical examiner to determine the cause of death.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Labyrinth Canyon is a boat-accessed slot canyon located in Lake Powell. The mouth of the canyon is in Utah, but the rest is on the Arizona side of the state line.

The Associated Press contributed to this report