An Oklahoma basketball coach and father of four has been found dead and his 8-year-old daughter is missing after the family's car was washed away by severe flooding in Texas on Christmas Eve.
Will Robinson, a high school coach from Durant, Okla., his wife and their four children were driving in their SUV Tuesday morning when the car veered off the road and became stuck in a culvert in Sherman, Texas, where strong currents swept their vehicle. was swept away.
According to the Sherman Police Department, all six family members were trapped inside. Robinson lost his life, but four other family members were rescued. The family's 8-year-old daughter has not been found.
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Beloved high school coach and father Will Robinson found dead after Christmas Eve tragedy (Facebook/Will Robinson)
Authorities said they had already covered 7 miles of the creek as of Wednesday, and the search continued after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott authorized the state's search and rescue team to help find the girl. It continues until the third day.
In a statement Wednesday afternoon, the Sherman Police Department said, “We have shifted the focus of our investigation into the county and are targeting several locations that may not have been explored yet. The search will continue until dark today. We will search after that,” he added. Be sure to resume exploring again before nightfall. ”
Lt. Samuel Boyle of the Sherman Police Department said the cause of Tuesday's accident “may be related to a large amount of water accumulation and possibly hydroplaning, which is a very dangerous situation.” told KXII News 12. “Once you get into the drain, you’re really at the mercy of the flow of the water and how fast it’s coming down.”
“This is truly a tragedy,” he added.
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High school basketball coach Will Robinson was found dead after his family's SUV was swept away by floodwaters on Christmas Eve. (Facebook)
Robinson's cousin wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday: “This is truly shocking and I can't bear to have it happen on Christmas Eve.” “Will was one of the good guys. A devoted husband and father, a beloved basketball coach, and just a wonderful person… Please keep the entire Robinson family in your thoughts and prayers.”
Police said numerous local and state agencies, including the Texas Task Force, are working together in the search.
“During a crisis like this, we are honored to serve a community that truly wants to help in any way we can.Dozens of first responders are participating in this search and Many have received extensive training in searching in hazardous situations,” Sherman Police continued. Their statement added that no additional volunteers are currently needed.
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Will Robinson and his family pictured before the tragic accident on Christmas Eve (Facebook/Will Robinson)
The Sherman Police Department asked anyone with noteworthy information regarding this incident to call the non-emergency number at 903-892-7290.
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“Please drive with extreme caution,” Boyle told local Texas news outlets in a message to all drivers experiencing rain and flooding conditions.
“Even if you think your car can drive through a large puddle, once you hit that puddle you really lose control of your car, so you might want to take a detour and take a different route. Please consider.”
