ADOT Crew Hailed as Heroes After Rescuing Woman Trapped Overnight in Swift Canal

iSkyNews and Media August 07, 2025

Ray Ruiz, John Gardner, Antonio Trejo Martinez, Salvador Mata Jr., Larry Ortega, and David Robledo / 📸 Photo credit: Arizona Department of Transportation

Staff Reporter | iSkyNews.com (ISC News)

Published August 7th, 2025

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ADOT Crew Hailed as Heroes After Rescuing Woman Trapped Overnight in Swift Canal

Maricopa County, AZ – What started as a typical workday for a group of ADOT highway maintenance workers turned into a rescue mission they’ll never forget.

Early Wednesday morning, Ray Ruiz and his team at a nearby Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) yard heard something strange—someone shouting for help. They jumped into their trucks and followed the sound down the canal near some railroad tracks.

About a quarter mile away, they spotted a 58-year-old woman clinging to a floating tire, stuck in the water and clearly exhausted. She had fallen into the canal the night before and had been holding on all night, trying not to be swept under a dangerous underground siphon where the canal flows beneath the train tracks.

“It’s swift water, and you could get pulled under the railroad tracks,” said Ruiz. “Basically, it’s a siphon.”

Thinking fast, the crew linked arms to form a human chain and extended a shovel out to her. Working together, they managed to pull her safely from the water.

In that moment, one of the guys gave her his shirt so she could have something dry to wear.

The crew included Ray Ruiz, John Gardner, Antonio Trejo Martinez, Salvador Mata Jr., Larry Ortega, and David Robledo—all ADOT highway maintenance technicians.

Once Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies arrived and took over care of the woman, the ADOT team quietly returned to their regular duties—like it was just another part of the job.

But their quick thinking and teamwork likely saved a life.

📸 Photo credit: Arizona Department of Transportation