A hotel employee in Flagstaff, Arizona, helped rescue a man from fast-moving floodwater on Sunday, hours before 73-year-old Williams Singavarapu was swept away and died at the same location.
The worker acted on instinct as severe flooding hit the city on November 1, with hotel staff joining the effort to pull the stranded man to safety.
Later that evening, emergency crews were called to South Malpais Lane and West Clay Avenue after reports that another man had lost his footing near the rushing water, fallen in and failed to resurface.
Flagstaff police and firefighters searched through the night. At about 5.28am on Monday, November 2, responders found an unresponsive man near East Ellery Avenue and South W.C. Riles Street, less than a mile from where the earlier incident had been reported.
He was identified as Mr Singavarapu, who was from New York. Police said his death remained under investigation.
The rescue and subsequent fatality occurred as heavy rain caused widespread flooding across Flagstaff. Emergency crews carried out several water rescues during the weekend, while city officials warned residents to stay away from fast-flowing water.
Authorities have urged anyone who witnessed Mr Singavarapu’s disappearance or has information about the incident to contact the Flagstaff Police Department.
