that Oklahoma basketball coach A father of four was found dead, and his 8-year-old daughter is still missing after the family car was swept away by raging floodwaters in Texas on Christmas Eve.
Will Robinson, a high school coach from Durant, Oklahoma, and his wife and four children were driving their SUV Tuesday morning when the vehicle ran off the road and became stuck in the road. Drainage ditch in Sherman, Texas The strong currents carried him.
All six family members were trapped inside, according to the Sherman Police Department. Robinson did not survive, while four other family members were rescued. The family's 8-year-old daughter was not found.
Beloved high school coach and father Will Robinson is found dead after a Christmas Eve tragedy (Facebook/Will Robinson)
Searching for a young girlwhich authorities said had already covered seven miles of the creek as of Wednesday, continues into its third day, with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott approving state search and rescue teams to help find the child.
“We are shifting our focus to the county, targeting some potential locations that we have not yet searched,” the Sherman Police Department said in a statement Wednesday afternoon, adding, “Our search will continue until dark today, then we will continue the search.” Resume the search again before daylight.”
The cause of Tuesday's accident “likely had to do with a large buildup of water and possibly some aquaplaning, which is a very dangerous situation,” said Lt. Samuel Boyle of the Sherman Police Department. He told KXII News 12. “Once they get to the drainage ditch, they are at the mercy of the water flow and the speed at which it flows.”
“It's a tragedy, it really is,” he added.
High school basketball coach Will Robinson, who was found dead after his family's SUV was swept away by floodwaters on Christmas Eve. (Facebook)
“This is devastating, and what is happening on Christmas Eve makes this unbearable,” Robinson’s cousin wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday. “Will was one of the good guys – a devoted husband and father, a beloved basketball coach, and a great person… Please keep the entire Robinson family in your thoughts and prayers.”
Many local and state agencies, Including Texas Task Force 2Police said they were working together on the search.
“In crises like this, we are fortunate to serve a community that desperately wants to help in any way we can. We have dozens of first responders involved in this research, many of whom have extensive training in Searching in dangerous conditionsSherman Police continued in their statement, adding that they do not currently need any additional volunteers.
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Will Robinson and his family are pictured before their tragic accident on Christmas Eve (Facebook/Will Robinson)
The Sherman Police Department asked anyone with noteworthy information about the case to call their non-emergency phone number at 903-892-7290.
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“Please drive with extreme caution,” Boyle told a local Texas outlet in a message to all drivers. In wet or flooded conditions.
“Even if you think your car can get through some big standing water, please consider turning around and taking another route because once you get into that standing water, you really lose control of your car.”
