Crews are still searching for an 8-year-old girl who went missing after being involved in a car crash off U.S. Highway 75 in Sherman on Christmas Eve.
At about 9:30 a.m. Dec. 24, Sherman emergency personnel responded to calls about a vehicle being swept away by floodwaters, police Chief Jason Jeffcoat said during a Friday news conference. Rescue teams worked to stop the vehicle’s movement and were able to save four out of six of the occupants.
As of Friday, the four that were rescued are out of the hospital and recovering, officials said. Police did not release their identities.
Police identified the other two occupants as Will Robinson and his 8-year-old daughter, Clara Robinson. The father died in the accident. Officials believe that prior to his death, he was attempting to save his daughter.
However, Clara was still missing Saturday after being swept away by floodwaters, Jeffcoat said.
Saturday marks the fifth consecutive day of search efforts to find her, according to police. Jeffcoat said teams are searching Post Oak Creek, near the site where initial rescue efforts took place.
Officials said Wednesday that the search for the girl has expanded outside Sherman into lower branches of the Post Oak and Choctaw creeks. There will be teams searching a 10-mile stretch of the two creeks.
Jeffcoat said the search teams are made up of personnel from Sherman police and fire, Grayson County sheriff’s office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Parks and Wildlife and several other state and local agencies. He said Friday’s search included teams with K9s, drones and divers.
“Our main priority the past four days has been, and continues to be, finding this 8-year-old girl,” Jeffcoat said. “We ask our community to continue praying for this family during this unfathomable time of grief.”