At least five people are dead and two others missing after flash flooding swept through San Antonio, Texas, on Thursday, June 12. Torrential rains triggered rising waters that carried away more than a dozen vehicles and stranded dozens more.
Police confirmed that first responders recovered the bodies of two men and two women. One victim was found a mile away from their vehicle, according to officials. A fifth body was located later with the help of search dogs.
What happened?
The flooding began early Thursday morning as a storm system with torrential rains hit the region. Firefighters said they found people clinging to trees on an island formed by the floodwaters. Ten people were rescued from trees, while two others managed to escape the water on their own.
At least four people were hospitalized with minor injuries. Officials say they responded to more than 70 water rescues throughout the day.
Fire Department’s response
In a statement, the fire department said, “While the majority of the water rescue operations were not severe in nature and consisted of our crews assisting drivers from vehicles that were stalled in high water, several of these calls were harrowing and involved our crews entering swift moving water to effect rescues.”
Wife desperate for answers
Angela Richards is still searching for her husband, Steve Richards, who went missing during the flooding. She says Steve called her from his car, saying it had been swept up in the rising water and he was trapped.
“I could hear whatever the car hit and then the water taking over the car,” she told reporters. “And that’s the last I heard.”
Richards believes her husband may still be inside a submerged vehicle identified by first responders. “The way they proceeded to search the car, yes, I can tell that someone’s on that driver’s side,” she said. “I know for a fact that’s my vehicle.”
Authorities said the search for the two remaining missing individuals is ongoing.
