A Navajo family was returning home after gathering supplies for an 8th birthday celebration when their truck became stuck in mud due to heavy rainstorms in the area.
Kalisi Begay decided to walk home, leaving her mother and 7-year-old daughter behind. Unfortunately, the water rose rapidly.
Tragically, the grandmother, Elsie Begay, her granddaughter, Lucy Allison Mike, and Elsie’s best friend, Dora Franklin, were swept away by floodwaters while attempting to cross a wash.
Family members confirmed that the three lost their lives on Tuesday near Newcomb, New Mexico, a small town with around 400 residents, as reported on Friday.
“I think she just wanted to get home,” commented Stella Wilson, Elsie’s niece.
This week, flash flooding throughout the Navajo Nation has damaged roads, forced evacuations, and taken lives as a late burst of monsoon moisture caused heavy rains in the Four Corners area.
Navajo police reported evacuations of three families in Shiprock, New Mexico, on Friday evening due to rising water levels and flooding near the San Juan River.
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren declared a state of emergency on Friday, as several communities remained cut off due to flooding and road damage while the rain persisted. Multiple roads on the Navajo Nation were closed as of Friday.
“Please use alternate routes, check on our elders and relatives, and follow the guidance of our emergency personnel,” Nygren urged in a statement.
In Mexican Springs, approximately 40 miles south of Newcomb, flooding rendered many dirt and gravel roads unusable, isolating some families and preventing others from getting home.
“A lot of ditches are washed out, the culvert pipes are gone. There are big, massive holes in the road,” said Darnell Etsitty, a local government maintenance worker who has been busy creating alternative routes for residents.
Etsitty noted that the Mexican Springs Chapter House has been turned into a temporary shelter, with volunteers using ATVs to deliver food, water, and supplies to those stranded.
Wilson mentioned the ongoing poor road conditions and that her family still couldn’t reach her mother. She encouraged others to remain patient and await assistance.
“I just want to make sure other families make it home,” she expressed.
Elsie Begay was employed as a business technician at Sanostee Day School, where her granddaughter Mike was a third grader. Franklin worked as a bus driver for another nearby school.
According to Wilson, both Begay and Franklin had a passion for working with children. Begay would decorate the school’s front office for every holiday to create a warm atmosphere, while Franklin would hand out candy to children as they boarded the bus. Begay was actively involved in fundraisers and community events.
Mike had recently been crowned “Miss Sanostee Day School” on September 4 and was eagerly anticipating her birthday party next Tuesday. Wilson described her niece as “beautiful” and “bright.”
“She was a big blessing to her family,” Wilson reflected.
