4-Year-Old Boy Found Dead After Being Swept Away by Floodwaters in Texas: ‘He Just Went Under'
Lucas Warren's death has been ruled an accidental drowning, according to public records viewed by PEOPLE
GoFundMe
Parents Adam and Chelsey Warren posing with their son Lucas, who died in floodwaters on May 5A child has died in Texas after he was swept away by floodwaters while his parents were driving amid heavy rain and flash flooding in the state over the weekend.
A 911 call came in around 1:53 a.m. local time on Sunday, May 5, about a family that was carried away by the floodwaters off of Country Road 528, Johnson County Emergency Management said in a Facebook post.
The family of three was attempting to reach dry ground on foot when they were overwhelmed by the floodwaters, Moore said.
The mother and father were rescued around 5 a.m. and eventually transported to a hospital.
Related: Woman, 59, Swept Away While Crossing California River During Hike with Friends
The child was found dead in the water more than two hours later. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Officer has identified the victim as 4-year-old Lucas Warren of Burleson.
Lucas’ death has been ruled an accidental drowning, according to public records viewed by PEOPLE.
Chelsey Warren, Lucas’ mother, said her son was in the neonatal intensive care unit for weeks after he was born. “He’s the best,” she told NBC affiliate KXAS-TV, describing him as “a bright, sweet, amazing, amazing boy.”
Related: 13-Year-Old Who Drowned After Being Swept Away in Lake Michigan Was 'Loving' Daughter, Family Says
The family was driving home from a family member’s house in Johnston County when they attempted to drive through water on the roadway. But the water was too much for the car to handle.
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“My car battery died, and then the car started filling up with water, so we grabbed Lucas out of his car seat,” Chelsey recalled.
Soon, the family was swept away. Chesley and her husband got separated, with Lucas remaining with his mother. She told KXAS-TV that she tried to keep his head above water for more than an hour until a current suddenly swept him out of her arms.
According to the Associated Press, crews rescued more than 400 people around Houston on Saturday as the city to East Texas was inundated with floodwaters.
“A current came up real high, and he just let go,” Chelsey recalled. “And I didn’t hear anything from him. I think he just went under.”
Authorities later found Lucas dead. The child was expecting to celebrate his fifth birthday in about three weeks.
Related: Mother Visiting Pa. Among 5 Killed in 'Fierce' Flash Floods; Her 2 Kids Still Missing
Chesley said it is “going to take a long time” to come to terms with her son’s death. “Nothing’s ever going to bring Lucas back,” she told KXAS-TV. “Nothing’s ever going to fill that hole.”
In addition to taking Lucas’ life, the floodwaters totaled the family’s only car, ruined their cellphones and washed away their wallets, according to Joe Warren, who organized a GoFundMe for the Warren family.
Donations made to the online fundraiser will go toward Lucas’ funeral, Warren wrote. More than $28,000 has been raised in less than 24 hours.
“This is the hardest thing anyone in my family has ever been through,” he added.
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