MEDINA COUNTY, Texas — The body of a 20-year-old man was recovered Tuesday afternoon by the Medina County Sheriff's Office.
The man's car was swept away during heavy flood waters Monday night in far northeast Medina County, according to authorities.
Sheriff Randy Brown says the search ended near Park Road 37 and Farm to Market Road 1283 in Bandera County.
“Last night when the storm came through the county, we received a 911 call that a young man was in the water, and his vehicle was floating away,” said Sheriff Brown.
Sheriff Brown says it was tough to listen to the 12-minute 911 call the driver made to dispatch before the call disconnected.
"My dispatcher was able to have a 12-minute conversation back and forth, a lot of panic and a lot of you can't understand, but his vehicle was swept off the road, off Park Road," Sheriff Brown said.
Immediately the Sheriff's Office began to search for the driver.
“We started yesterday [Monday] evening and started back even with more people this [Tuesday] morning, and we were able to locate the vehicle. It was probably three and a half miles down that creek,” said Sheriff Brown.
Brown says extreme rainfall coming down so quickly can become a dangerous situation for drivers quickly.
"Often it just looks like pavement," Sheriff Brown said. "It looks black and by the time you hit the water, and your engine stalls and there's no place for you to go, and the water's coming quicker. Then the next thing, your car is being washed off the roadway."
While the vehicle was recovered, no one was in it, so they searched downstream. The Sheriff's office was aided by search teams, firefighters, emergency and service coordinators, game wardens and a helicopter.
Brown says the search was difficult because of the terrain, but they remained committed, searching into Bandera County.
“Then not too long ago, [we] were able to find the body of this young man, which was about a five-mile trip,” said Sheriff Brown.
Sheriff Brown says the 20-year-old man was not from the United States, so they are not releasing his identity until his parents are notified. Brown says he was able to speak with local family members.
“It's really a tough thing. You know, you never have the words to say to people. And in times like that our hearts go out to the family,” said Sheriff Brown.
Sheriff Brown says while it was not the outcome they hoped for, he hopes it will give the family some closure.