Incredible moment helicopter rescues Utah hiker from 'atmospheric flood' that killed two others

Dramatic footage captured the moment a hiker was airlifted out of a canyon on the Utah-Arizona border as rapid floodwaters raced in. 

Severe rainfall led to the deaths of at least two amid desperate rescue missions in the area throughout the week, which came as the West Coast continues to be battered by devastating weather. 

An atmospheric river event has washed out the region in recent days, bringing with it torrential rainfall, bitter winds and snowstorms. 

Following months of historic snowfall across California and the surrounding states, a severe weather front brought the third major storm of the year to the coast, leading to a death toll of at least 16.  

Officials in Washington County, Utah, were forced to construct makeshift zip lines after three adults and three children were left stranded by a flash flood

Deep floodwaters have brought havoc across the West Coast in recent days as torrential rains washed in

The shocking airlift footage led Kane County Sheriff Lt. Allen Alldredge to confirm the first man found dead was among a group of three hikers venturing through the Utah-Arizona border. 

Another man rescued from the group was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was treated for hypothermia and severe injuries after surviving several days through the ordeal. 

Authorities confirmed they found a second body on Wednesday afternoon in the cavernous area, which is believed to be a man who was identified as missing earlier in the week, however this has not yet been confirmed. 

Two Utah Department of Public Safety helicopters were deployed to rescue the group of three hikers Wednesday, a day after an additional 11 others were extracted from the fast-moving flood waters. 

In Washington County, Utah, the sheriff's office confirmed they responded to a call on Thursday after receiving a report that three adults and three children were stranded on a separate canyon trail. 

A flash flood rushed through the area as the hikers were travelling through, leading the group, including the children aged just two, four and six, to be stuck on one side of the river. 

Search and rescue teams constructed a makeshift zip line to shuttle gear and blankets across the river, before another was anchored to traverse the individuals to safety. 

Flash floods can cause water levels to rise within seconds, with the atmospheric river storm that swept in through the West Coast since last weekend causing severe damage to numerous homes and businesses. 

Emergency services have been called all across the West Coast since the 'Pineapple Express' storm made landfall last weekend. 

In another heroic helicopter rescue, footage surfaced showing a man desperately clinging to a wall after being swept into the raging Los Angeles River. 

The LA Fire Department's ground and air crews responded at about 5pm on Wednesday as the man, who is yet to be identified, clung for his life on a 'concrete sheer wall.'  

In nearby Orange County, officials declared a local state of emergency due to the torrential storms. 

Residents in four apartment buildings in San Clemente were forced to evacuate after a hillside at the rear of the property collapsed - just days after a man died in Oakland, California when a warehouse roof caved in on him under the weather. 

A swimming pool at a residential home in Orange County, CA on the edge of a hillside that collapsed amid the severe weather

Floodwaters in Watsonville, California have washed out residents after the Parajo River overflowed. Sandbags have been issued by several California cities and emergency shelters have been set up

The city of Woodlake was also among those damaged by the atmospheric river storm, with firefighters and police officers reportedly floating canoes across the streets to rescue those stuck in their homes. 

Cities across the West Coast have been handing out sandbags to mitigate the deep floodwaters from entering homes while emergency shelters have been set up. 

California's weather woes come as it was hit last week by its third major storm of the year, dubbed the 'Pineapple Express' storm. 

The devastating weather front placed more than 20 counties under a state of emergency, and evacuation orders were issued in coastal counties at the end of last week.

Upwards of an inch of rain fell every hour in some parts of California over the weekend, while mountainous regions such as the San Bernadino Valley were still blanketed by snowfall.