Search called off for 5-year-old swept away in Northern California floodwaters
CAPITOLA, Calif. — Rescuers called off the search for a 5-year-old boy swept away by floodwaters as powerful winter storms continued to pummel Northern California, causing rivers to swell to dangerous levels across the region.
The search was canceled Monday afternoon when conditions became unsafe for divers to continue looking, according to Tony Cipolla, spokesperson for the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.
Firefighters initially responded to a call about 8 a.m. regarding a vehicle in the San Marcos Creek crossing near Wellsona Road outside San Miguel, Cipolla said. A mother and her 5-year-old son were trying to cross a road that had been flooded. After their car started to get swept away by the creek, both jumped out of the car.
The mother was rescued by a nearby property owner, but the boy continued down the floodwaters, according to Cipolla. He added that authorities constantly reevaluate conditions and willresume their search if it becomes safe to do so.
Cipolla warned residents to stay away from low-lying areas and to find an alternative route if there’s water on the roadway.
Elsewhere in San Luis Obispo County, a motorist died after entering a flooded portion of Avila Beach Drive, according to the California Highway Patrol’s Coastal Division.
The cyclone battering the state, which is expected to dump several inches of rain across the region through Tuesday, is the latest in a parade of atmospheric rivers that have pummeled the state over the last
