WESTERNPORT, Md. (AP) — Officials found the body of a 12-year-old boy who was swept away by rushing water on a Virginia roadway during a storm system that also forced a dozen students to stay overnight at a Maryland high school due to heavy rains that led to flooding in several states.
A 911 caller reported Tuesday night that the boy was walking outside when he was swept away by water that overtook the roadway from a nearby creek, Albemarle County Fire Rescue said in a social media post.
What is believed to be the body of Jordan Sims was found by crews searching for him about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, the county agency stated. He will be taken a medical examiner’s office in Richmond for positive identification.
“This is a heartbreaking outcome, and our hearts are with the Sims’ family and loved ones,” Albemarle County Fire Rescue Chief Dan Eggleston said in a statement. “We are incredibly grateful to our local and regional partners who supported this search effort with urgency, professionalism, and care.”
In far western Maryland’s Allegany County, officials said about 150 students and 50 adults were evacuated Tuesday afternoon from Westernport Elementary School as floodwaters breached the second floor. Crews used rescue boats to transport the children to higher ground.