Missing Pair Found Dead in Car in Missouri Floodwaters

John Reinhardt and Caitlin Frangel (Hazelwood Police Department)

The bodies of a two young Missouri adults who went missing 10 days ago have been found in a car in the floodwaters of the Mississippi river.

The Hazelwood Police Department has been investigating the disappearance of John Reinhardt, 20, and Caitlin Frangel, 19, since the couple went missing, last seen the night of May 13th.

According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, the body of a man and woman were found near 1550 Harbor Drive in Portage Des Sioux, reported KMOV. The bodies were believed to have been there for several days.

Portage Des Sioux on the Mississippi river, Missouri (Screenshot/Googlemaps)

According to the station, Reinhardt’s mother confirmed that the bodies belonged to the missing duo, who were were last seen buying snacks at a local gas station.

She said authorities had been unable to search the area because of floodwaters whipped up by multi-day storms that hit parts of the nation in the last week.

According to KMOV, the highway patrol determined that the car drove into floodwaters. They do not suspect foul play.

The parents of both missing people had been plastering fliers in the area in hopes of tracking down their loved ones, reported Fox News.

“It’s almost like they have jumped through a black hole or fell off the earth,” said Diane Reinhardt, John Reinhardt’s mother.

“I have never experienced anything like this before it’s like being hit in the chest with a hammer and as soon as you cut your breath you are hit in the chest with a hammer again,” said Mark Menendez, John Reinhardt’s father.

The two are described as friends by KMOV, but as a couple by Fox news.

Reinhardt’s mother told KMOV that there are no lights on the street at night and believes the pair—who liked to go for drives—may have unwittingly driven into the water.

Rivers in many parts of the country have been swollen in recent days by storms that lashed many states and left at least eight dead.

Officials in Indiana are still searching for a 4-year-old boy who was swept away in a swollen creek on the evening of May 23, according to local reports.

Owen Jones was caught in a creek in Delphi, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, reported the Journal And Courier.

Witnesses told authorities the boy was playing near Deer Creek at Riley Park around 6 pm in the evening. They saw him struggling in the water, and then being swept away.

On May 23, two runaway barges, torn free by floodwaters on the Arkansas river, slammed into a dam as onlookers evacuated from the town below, anxiously watching to see if the structure would hold. Fortunately, it did.

Video footage showed the two barges—which were carrying a total of 3,800 tonnes of fertilizer—sink within seconds of hitting the Webber’s Falls dam in Oklahoma.

The town of Webber’s Falls, situated on the banks of the river about a mile downstream, was evacuated as soon as officials learned the two barges were headed their way.

“Evacuate Webbers Falls immediately,” officials posted on the town’s Facebook page. “The barges are loose and has the potential to hit the lock and dam 16. If the dam breaks it will be catastrophic!! Leave now!

“If you choose to stay you are doing so at your own risk,” wrote town officials in an earlier post. “If you choose to stay, we advise you write your name and personal information on your arm in permanent marker. Please be safe!”

The town of Webbers Falls, just downstream of the dam. (Screenshot/Google Maps)

The runaway barges on the Arkansas river in Oklahoma. (OHP)

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol confirmed that the barges had sunk upon striking the dam.