Published on January 22, 2026
On January 20th, around 1:30 p.m., the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a missing rider who hadn't returned from a morning quad trip. The 49-year-old man had left his Spring Valley home at 6 a.m. for what was supposed to be a quick, less-than-1-hour ride. When hours passed without a word, his family grew concernedand contacted YCSO. YCSO Forest Patrol and Yavapai Search and Rescue teams hit the dirt roads and neighborhoods near his home to begin the search. Shortly before 5:30 pm, teams spotted the man at the bottom of a wash off Duffer’s Road, not too far away from his home. While he was alert and conscious when rescuers reached him, his injuries left him unable to walk or climb out of the wash on his own. Mayer Fire responded to the scene and successfully extracted the man from the wash. He was then transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office wants to extend its deepest gratitude to our search and rescue teams and to Mayer Fire for their quick response and for finding the rider before the situation worsened. YCSO sends well wishes for his recovery.