“The River Can’t Be Trusted”

Reese Drive, crossing the Rio Ruidoso in New Mexico, lies near where the body of a child, Sebastian Trotter, was found. He and his sister, Charlotte, were swept away by a July 2025 flood. Peak tourist season had arrived in Ruidoso, New Mexico, and Mayor Lynn Crawford was campaigning to convince the public that the village was safe. A Republican with white hair and a Texas drawl, Crawford said he was frustrated with residents who were sharing warnings of flooding on social media. “They spout stuff off,” he said in a radio address on June 30, 2025.