A community is left reeling after the bodies of a beloved Bear Flat couple, Phon and Dara Sutton, were found in Tonto Creek, one day after their truck was seen submerged in floodwater.
The Suttons not only left an impact on their community but also on their loved ones.
A legacy that forever lives at the Phon D Sutton Recreation Site, a location where locals and visitors enjoy year-round.
The site was named after Phon Sutton's dad who was a lover of the outdoors and fought to preserve the land south of the Salt River and keep it public.
Phon and his wife Dara Sutton also left their mark where they lived.
"Phon and Dara have been a staple in Bear Flat for a very long time," Kristina Oliver told ABC15. Oliver says she still can't believe her dear neighbors are gone.
"Phon and Dara, they're like grandparents to me. I trust them and love them with everything in my heart," she added.
Phon was a retired doctor at what's now Banner Desert Medical Center.
Dara was a friend to all. "She wouldn't go by the house if we're outside without saying hello and, I mean, it's things like that that I looked forward to." Oliver says the Suttons were full of life and love.
“Their hearts were so full of life and of love. They did anything and everything for everybody. They cared for so many, including their dog, Harriet. Phon and Dara left Bear Flat Tuesday morning because Harriet was not eating, and her neck was swollen. I know that they left the vets office around 12:00 pm-12:15 pm,” Oliver told ABC15
She says that's the last anyone saw of the Suttons until their pickup truck was found submerged in Tonto Creek Wednesday.
Rescue teams later found the bodies of 85-year-old Phon and his 72-year-old wife Dara the following day.
"The community is hurting. The community is hurting pretty bad," said Oliver. Now the community is desperately searching for the couple's dog, Harriet."We're doing everything we can to bring her home and bring closure to the family and the community," she added.
