BANDERA COUNTY, Texas – A woman was found dead Monday after her vehicle was swept away by floodwaters in Bandera County, according to the Bandera County Sheriff’s Office.
Bandera County Sheriff Josh Teitge said the sheriff’s office received a call from the woman on Monday around 5:30 a.m. She told authorities her car was moving into the creek due to fast-moving water near Lower Mason Creek Road near Chipman Lane.
The woman began floating downstream at a high rate and was unable to exit her vehicle, the sheriff’s office said. Moments later, the call disconnected, but first responders were able to pinpoint her cell phone’s last known location.
Immediately after, the sheriff’s office announced a search and recovery effort. The Pipe Creek Fire Department, the Medina Fire Department, the Center Point Volunteer Fire Department, and other law enforcement agencies joined the search for the missing woman.
“Time is of the essence; you have a short window,” volunteer Dario Hernandez said.
Hernandez owns Global Search and Recovery and used sonar equipment during the search. The sonar equipment he uses can detect body heat underwater.
Franco Gurerro, owner of Guardian Search and Rescue Group, told KSAT they used his drone to search the area’s perimeter.
“It could be a stranger, it could be you,” Gurerro said. “We are the eyes in the skies. With drones, you can search an acre pretty fast. Having boots on the ground and the tools we have, it helps with finding her.”
The Texas Department of Public Safety also launched a helicopter to assist from the air.
Shortly after 4:30 p.m. Monday, the Bandera County Sheriff’s Office found the woman’s vehicle several miles downstream from the road’s entry point. The vehicle was found completely submerged with her inside, according to Teitge.
As of Monday night, the woman has not officially been identified.
Read also: