NASHVILLE - Officials say they are hoping to find a Tennessee boy swept away by floodwaters.
Authorities say 6-year-old Tristen Demumbran went missing Thursday after his mother tried to drive a van through high water in Hickman County. The mother and four others were able to escape.
"They thought it wasn't as high as it was. They tried to go through to get something to eat," said Renee Swanson, the child's aunt.
Nashville media report rescue crews searched the Beaver Creek Dam area near Centerville - about 60 miles southwest of Nashville - for hours before ending the search at about 8:30 p.m. Searchers were to resume the effort on Friday.
Swanson said the boy's mother was attempting to get him and another child to safety when she was hit by debris and lost consciousness. The other child was able to get to safety.
"Everyone has been found safe except Tristen. We are still looking for Tristen," Swanson said.
Sheriff Randal Ward said several agencies are involved in the search effort.
"We are in a rescue mode right now," he said. "This creek is way out of its bank and it is mean. We are praying we find this little boy."
The flooding was the result of powerful thunderstorms that swept through the state.
The storms were blamed for the death of a 72-year-old man in southern Tennessee, whose vehicle was swept downstream as he apparently tried to cross a flooded roadway.