Body of 1-Year-Old Swept Away in Flood Is Found

Police say mother drove around barricades on flooded road
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 17, 2018 12:30 PM CDT
Body of 1-Year-Old Swept Away in Flood Is Found
The floodwaters of McAlpine Creek along Randolph Road in Charlotte, N.C., are seen on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018.   (Jeff Siner/The Charlotte Observer via AP)

A 1-year-old boy was killed Sunday night when he was swept away in Hurricane Florence's rushing flood waters. The mother of Kaiden Lee-Welch was driving near Charlotte, NC, and drove around barricades to attempt to get through a flooded section of road, the Union County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. Her car was swept off the road, and though she was able to get Kaiden out of his car seat, she then "lost her grip on him in the rushing water," the sheriff's office says.

His body was found Monday morning by emergency workers, the Charlotte Observer reports. "Our thoughts and prayers for the little boy’s family and all the search team members and law enforcement officers who helped in this matter," the sheriff's office says. "Very sad situation." At least two other infants are among Florence's fatalities. (The city of Wilimington is cut off because of flooding.)

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