SAN ANTONIO – At least five people are dead after their vehicles were swept away by floodwaters early Thursday morning on the Northeast Side.
According to the San Antonio Fire Department, between 12:00 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, responded to 70 calls for water rescues and 16 calls for “high water investigations.”
While most of the extractions were not severe, with drivers being rescued from stalled vehicles.
15 vehicles were swept from the 410 access Road at Perrin Beitel Access Road into the creek below. 10 people were rescued from trees and bushes, nearly a mile away from where they entered the water.
Two people were able to escape the water on their own. Of the 12 people rescued by SAFD, four required hospitalization for minor injuries.
Sadly, five people did not service the high waters, confirmed by the San Antonio Fire Department. As of 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, two people remain missing.
Thursday’s storms became deadly for San Antonio drivers that were swept away by floodwater.
We know at least 15 cars ended up in Beitel Creek between the intersections of Perrin Beitel and Loop 410, downstream, all the way to Perrin Beitel and Austin Highway.
Four bodies have been recovered, four drivers were taken to local hospitals, two drivers got to go home and at least two drivers are unaccounted for.
“He said the car was moving, it’s like floating and I was like ‘oh you got to get out, if it’s moving, you’re not going to control it, you got to get out of it,” said Angel Richards, wife of 42-year-old Steve Richards, one of the drivers that hasn’t been accounted for.
Angel was on the phone with Steve while he was on his way to work when his car was swept away by water.
“I hear the car hitting up against them and then you can hear phone under water and that’s the last thing I heard,” said Angel.
Angel said she’s called nearby hospitals and Steve’s job to see if he ever made it, but hasn’t been able to locate him.
As the search continues, Angel says her hopes of finding Steve alive are dwindling away by the hour.
“I understand that there’s certain things that they cannot say to me, but at this point, let them just tip the band-aid off because I’m already knowing I’m going to get some worse news of my life,” said Angel.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said his officers and the San Antonio Fire Department continue to look for survivors and are asking anyone whose car was submerged to check in and let them know you’re safe.
“Anyone who has a vehicle here who has left the scene and not spoken to police or fire, we’re asking them to call traffic investigation division,” said Chief McManus.
Angel said she’s still trying to understand what went wrong for more than a dozen cars to be swept off the roadway in the same area.
“I just told my son that someone will have to give me answers. This is not normal,” said Angel.
We also heard from friends and family members of a woman who also hasn’t been accounted for. They said she was driving alone and no one has heard from her either.
The flooding started around 5 a.m. along the frontage road of Northeast Loop 410 at Perrin Beitel.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said four people are confirmed dead – two men and two women – and several others are still missing.
Witnesses told police that they saw four to five vehicles being swept away by the high water. Crews are working to recover all the unaccounted-for vehicles.
“It’s hard to determine at this point exactly how they got swept away,” San Antonio Fire Department spokesman Woody Woodward said. “But it is an area where there was high water that was moving rapidly and there were several people that were caught in that water that had climbed up into trees and we did do a couple of rescues out of trees and some rescues out of vehicles.”
The department had made 65 water rescues since midnight throughout the San Antonio area, he said.
San Antonio Fire Department officials said that after 5 a.m., they received numerous calls to the Loop 410/Perrin Beitel area. They said they safely rescued 10 people, transporting four to the hospital. Four bodies were eventually recovered, but the search is ongoing for those unaccounted for.
Chief McManus said there were 13 vehicles submerged in Beitel Creek near the highway.
“These are low water crossings that the depth of the water and the speed at which it’s traveling are very, very hard to gauge,” explained Chief McManus. “And if you venture into it when the water is deep, and the water’s moving real fast. You’re taking your life into your own hands.”
Over 7 inches of rain fell in parts of the San Antonio area, according to the weather service.
The search is ongoing.
Anyone who has a vehicle in the water and left the scene, please call SAPD Traffic Investigation at (210) 207-7385 to let them know you are alright.