Two young sisters die in UTV crash horror and third critical after rolling into Arizona creek

Daily Mail​

24-04-2025

A deadly off-roading crash led to the deaths of two young sisters, while the third is in critical condition, after their UTV was pulled into Arizona's deepest creek.
A 10-year-old and her four-year-old sister tragically drowned in Lower Eagle Creek on Friday after the side-by-side rolled over into the deep waters.
One of the girls was trapped inside the vehicle as it sank, and the other was rescued but couldn't be saved, according to local news source azcentral.
The two girls were identified as Gia and Mia Miranda, and their three-year-old sister, Xia Miranda, was hospitalized in critical condition following the accident.
Sheriff Ellison of Greenlee County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post: 'When arriving to the scene Deputies discovered a completely submerged side by side.'
'Our condolence's go to the family in this tragic event,' Ellison added.
According to Greenlee County Sheriff Eric Ellison, emergency crews responded to the incident at around 5.20pm.
Ellison said that the Miranda's had been camping for Easter weekend with other families, and they had decided to ride up the creek after lunch.
The girls' mother was sat in the passenger seat, with their father driving, as they crossed over the water.
The eight-foot drop caused the vehicle to be sucked into the hole, trapping the children under water.
According to Ellison, responding emergency crews were able to retrieve the body of the second trapped child from the sunken vehicle.
Video footage shared by the sheriff showed deputies responding from a helicopter due to the creek's remote location.
He added that the location was only accessible from a side-by-side, and passersby lent authorities their vehicles or drove deputies to the location of the incident.
'The community was outstanding by helping us get in, otherwise... we wouldn't have even gotten there to help them,' Ellison added.
He told azcentral that the situation was 'heartbreaking for everybody there.'
The crash occurred on a strip of the creek that measured three feet deep, where each side dips to about eight feet, Ellison told the outlet.
A GoFundMe for the family said: 'We are heartbroken by their sudden loss in a tragic accident.'
Lower Eagle Creek is near Morenci in Arizona, around two and half hours from the family's home in Deming, New Mexico.
According to Greenlee Arizona Tourism, Eagle Creek is one of Arizona's largest creeks.