The body of a 10-year-old girl who was swept away by surging floodwaters in Brenham, Texas has been found, as severe weather continues to threaten southeastern Texas and the Gulf Coast.
Around 4 p.m., the sisters encountered rapidly rising waters from a creek, according to Melinda Gordon, a spokesperson for the city.
Authorities are uncertain whether Devah slipped and fell or was pulled in by the current, but her sister ran to seek help.
A man who witnessed the incident and a Brenham police officer both made attempts to rescue Devah, but were unable to reach her in the swift water, according to Gordon.
The man managed to grab her backpack, but she was carried away. Both the man and the officer were treated by paramedics and released.
Rescue efforts began immediately, with teams searching through the night. The Brenham Fire Department, working with more than a dozen supporting agencies, deployed drones equipped with thermal imaging and search dogs in hopes of locating the missing girl.
Early Tuesday, four swift water rescue teams resumed the search. Around 10:45 a.m., a dive team from the Texas Department of Public Safety located Devah’s body 1.2 miles from where she was last seen, according to Brenham Police Lt. Steven Eilert.
“We have taken care of her as much as we could. Our hearts go out to (her) family. It is a difficult thing,” Eilert said during a news conference. Devah’s mother attended the news conference but did not speak.
The tragedy has shaken the Brenham community, which has a population of about 19,000 and is located roughly 70 miles northwest of Houston.
Mayor Atwood Kenjura described the city as a “very, very special community, very tight-knit Christian community.”
He said, “The response from everyone was overwhelming. We don’t like the outcome that happened.”
At Brenham Elementary School, support services are being offered to students and staff.
The region is still recovering from last week’s storms, which caused widespread flooding and travel disruptions across southern Oklahoma and northern Texas, according to the National Weather Service.
