The search for a 10-year-old boy who fell into the Brazos River in Parker County will continue Tuesday after being suspended Monday evening as the river continued to rise.
Parker County authorities said they were suspending their search, but Texas Game Warden officials said they would search the water by boat. The officials said they wouldn't be able to search after Tuesday.
Parker County officials said the river was expected to crest overnight Monday into Tuesday morning at about 24 feet above flood stage. The search will be suspended until the river begins to recede, which may not happen for several days.
The boy, whose name is not being released at the request of his family, was fishing from the bank of the Brazos River Saturday afternoon when he lost his footing and fell in, according to Donald Schauer with Parker County Emergency Services.
"Approximately about 1 p.m., 1:15 p.m., we got an emergency call for a swift water rescue," Schauer said. "By the time we got on scene, we found out that there was three young children, all about the same age, about 10 years old, down there fishing. They said that the young boy lost his footing and fell, and they tried to get him and he ended up getting swept away by the water."
Schauer said the boy was spending time at friend's house when it happened, and added there was a 20 to 30 minute delay before someone could call 911.
"Young kids — they were chasing him, trying to get up to him, keep track of him — and they had to go find the adults, which weren't present at the time, to go make the call. They were kind of far away from the house," Schauer said.
Multiple agencies have been involved in the search for the child, including crews from Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Brazos River Authority, Granbury Fire Department and Parker County Emergency Services.
"We moved it to a search and recovery [Saturday] night when we realized that the victim was unable to swim and you had no flotation device on him and was actually witnessed going under the water," Schauer said.
