A stricken mother has spoken of the harrowing moment floodwaters in dragged her 5-year-old son away in San Luis Obispo Country, Southern California.
As per reports, Monday began as any other day for Lindsy Doan. She and her son Kyle were on the way to Lillian Larsen Elementary School in San Miguel, where Kyle is a kindergartener and Lindsy works as a special education teacher.
They took their usual route, which included driving through an intersection near the San Marcos Creek. Brian Doan, Lindsy’s husband and Kyle’s father, said the family were there a day before, Sunday, during stormy weather that has persisted for more than a week in California.
When Lindsy and Kyle got to the intersection on Monday morning, Brian said there wasn’t any signs that the road was closed. Yet within seconds, danger presented itself …
According to the LA Times, Lindsy realized too late that the crossing had been flooded. Before she could react, the Chevrolet Traverse she and Kyle were traveling in was swept into the creek.
The vehicle then hit a tree and began to fill up with water. Kyle’s door wouldn’t open, so Lindsy told him to climb forward into her seat.
“He was calm,” Brian explained. “He was trying to say, ‘Stay calm, Mom.’ She was doing her best.”
Mother and son managed to get out of the car, but the strong current ripped them away from one another.
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Lindsy said: “He came toward me and the currents were so strong that when I tried to hold his hand, my hand wrapped around the tree and then the current pulled him away from me.
“The water was really rough, so the water was splashing into my face and the current was dragging me down.”
“Kyle was drifting down the river and I could see his head bobbing on the top of the river,” Lindsy added.
Fortunately for Lindsy, there were people nearby who could save her.
“The three people, good Samaritans, were on the side and they heard my screaming and saw Kyle floating by but it was in the middle of the river and they couldn’t… it was too far. He was floating on his back and he was looking up,” Lindsy said.
As of Wednesday night, Kyle, who Lindsy said doesn’t know how to swim, was still missing.
“I just want parents to give their own children an extra squeeze,” Lindsy said. “We missed that opportunity with Kyle. It’s hard seeing kids going back to school today knowing Kyle was supposed to be there too. Hug your kids extra hard and just be thankful that you guys have them because in any minute, they can disappear.”
Brian, a substitute teacher, said he learned of the tragedy when he arrived at school.
“I immediately am trying to maintain composure off what she is saying. ‘I lost Kyle. I can’t find Kyle’. I’m thinking ‘What’s going on?'” Brian said.
He added: “My wife feels very terrible surviving this and not him. She did the right thing getting him out of the car. San Miguel Fire told me they saw the car had moved and it was pushed upside down in the creek.”
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Kyle is 4 feet tall and 52 pounds. He has short dark blond hair and hazel eyes; he was wearing blue jeans, a black puffer jacket with red lining and blue and gray Nike sneakers.
We’re sending all of our prayers in the direction of Kyle and his heartbroken family.
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