By Mike Donahue
Moapa Valley Progress
Two Southern Nevada seniors had to be rescued from flood waters in Overton last month after becoming stuck when they tried to drive across a flooded dip in Moapa Valley Boulevard during the rains just before Christmas.
Orville and Marilyn Cattoor were trapped Dec. 22 in their small pickup for approximately an hour after the vehicle died while crossing the highway area just south of Robbins Nest Mobile Home Park, an area that floods nearly every time rain falls in Moapa Valley.
The couple and their truck were pulled out of harm’s way by Orville’s brother Dave Cattoor and Tyson Leavitt a bystander who jumped in to help after seeing the danger Orville and Marilyn were in, Dave said.
The flood water was apparently so strong the couple, both of whom are in their 70s, were unable to free themselves.
There were reportedly Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) employees in the area when the incident occurred, but Dave said they refused to help pull the Cattoor truck from the water citing NDOT policies and liability issues. An NDOT spokesman said the agency is investigating the matter.
The event started late Wednesday afternoon Dec. 22 when Orville and Marilyn traveled through Overton to visit relatives on Highway 169, Dave said. They encountered water on the road as they drove south but they had no problem driving through it.
After visiting with family they were returning to Overton when they were stopped by a small traffic tie up near the flooded area between the Lost City Museum and Robbins Nest.
Tyson Leavitt, the Overton man who helped pull the Cattoors to safety, explained to the Moapa Valley Progress that he was caught in the same traffic jam with the Cattoors.
“The water was pouring over the road and we were all backed up waiting while NDOT cleaned out the mud and rocks from the road with a front-end loader,” Leavitt said. “When they finished, one of the workers said the road was clear but he couldn’t say if it was safe for us to cross the water.”
Leavitt, who drives a tall four-wheel drive truck, said it didn’t appear too deep so he drove through the water and passed with no problem. The Cattoors, however, tried to go through behind him and their truck died in the flood.
“The NDOT crew was right there with that front-end loader and I thought they’d pull that little truck out,” Leavitt said. “So I just went on home. I started to think about it a little later, however, and decided to go back and check on them. I was real surprised to see NDOT hadn’t pulled that truck out and it was still stuck and there were people inside.”
Leavitt said he immediately returned home to get some straps to try and free the Cattoors.
In the meantime, because they were unable to free themselves and their truck was rapidly filling with mud and water the couple used a cell phone to call Orville’s brother Dave for help. He raced from his Logandale home to assist.
“When I got there I talked to one of the highway (NDOT) people about some help, but he said it was against their policy or something,” Dave said. “They said they were not allowed to help.”
No one, it seems, including the Cattoors or the NDOT crew had thought or bothered to call emergency 911 and Orville and Marilyn were beginning to worry for their lives.
Just about that time, Leavitt returned with his equipment.
Leavitt said that when the truck first got stuck the flood water was as high its wheels. By the time he returned with his tow straps, the truck’s headlights were under water.
“We were up to our ears in mud and water trying to pull the truck out,” Dave said. “The water was too strong to open a door and Marilyn is frail and she would never have been able to get to dry land even if she could have crawled out a window.”
Dave and Leavitt managed to get a tow rope on Orville’s small pickup but it broke at the first attempt to drag the truck out of the water.
The next try was successful, however, and the men managed to pull the Cattoor truck to safety.
“Had the water surged when we were out there trying to hook up, we would never have been able to do it,” Dave said. “I still can’t understand why those highway people couldn’t have helped.”
Scott Magruder, NDOT spokesman, said he was not aware of any policy that would have prevented the maintenance crew from offering assistance.
“Obviously we need to look further into this and we will,” Magruder said. “We assist drivers all the time. A lot of the time we’re first responders. As far as policy, it’s pretty clear that if it’s a life or death situation we’re going to help.”
The truck was pulled onto the south side of the dip where the highway flooded and the Catoors were forced to walk over a nearby railroad trestle so Dave’s wife could pick everyone up and take them home.
