'Mom, it's OK,' her son, Kyle, reassured her from the back seat. 'Just be calm.' They were the last words the little boy said to his mother before his fingers slipped away from hers and he was swept away.
"Yesterday I got to the point where I think I ran out of tears," Lindsy Doan told The Associated Press.Lindsy Doan didn't think the water flowing over the creek crossing on San Marcos Road was deeper than normal when she tried navigating it in her SUV while driving her 5-year-old son to school.
The storms that have relentlessly pounded California since the end of last year have claimed at least 18 lives. Most of the deaths have been caused by falling trees and people driving on flooded roads.This undated photo provided by the Doan family shows Kyle Doan. The 5-year-old was swept away by floodwaters near San Miguel, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023.With a sister in high school and brother in college, he is the baby in his family and loves being the center of attention.
For most of the year, the creek running along San Marcos Road is like so many California rivers and streams - a sinuous band of sand that only flows with winter and spring rains. When it is flowing, it's often easy enough to drive through the shallow waters that course over the road in places. Scotty Jalbert, emergency services manager for San Luis Obispo County, said river crossings can be deceiving and people can run into trouble after successfully fording them several times. As little as 6 inches of water is enough to knock a person off their feet and can even push a car off course if it's moving rapidly.
When he saw waves of muddy brown water and the steady flow carrying sturdy oak and sycamore limbs downstream, he said, "This isn't going to end well for someone."After Doan's car came to a rest against the trees it began taking on water, so she decided to abandon it. The windows wouldn't go down, but she was able to open her door and hug a tree. With the current pinning the rear door closed, she told Kyle to leave his belongings and climb into the front seat.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Missing 5-year-old swept away by California floodwaters ID’ed as Kyle DoanThe 5-year-old California boy who vanished after “raging floodwaters” ripped him away from his mother Monday is still missing.
Read more »
California flooding: Search intensifies for Kyle Doan, missing boy swept away by rushing waterAuthorities and family are holding out hope that 5-year-old Kyle Doan can be found after he was swept away by floodwaters as a powerful storm walloped California.
Read more »
Boy told mom 'be calm' before being swept away in floodwaterThe mother of a 5-year-old boy missing in floodwaters from California’s epic winter storms says she thought it was safe to drive across a creek flowing over the road she drove to school every day
Read more »
Boy told mom 'be calm' before being swept away in floodwaterThe mother of a 5-year-old boy missing in floodwaters from California’s epic winter storms says she thought it was safe to drive across a creek flowing over the road she drove to school every day.
Read more »
Boy told mom 'be calm' before being swept away in floodwaterA 5-year-old boy missing in floodwaters from California’s epic winter storms told his mom 'be calm' before being swept away in floodwater. His mother says she thought it was safe to drive across a creek flowing over the road she drove to school every day.
Read more »
Boy told mom ‘be calm’ before being swept away in floodwaterLindsy Doan didn’t think the water flowing over the creek crossing on San Marcos Road was deeper than normal when she tried navigating it in her SUV while driving her 5-year-old son to school.
Read more »