An elderly couple and their four great-grandchildren were found dead on Sunday in their family van after it was swept away by the Houston flood waters in Greens Bayou.
We are sad to report we have found a van inundated by Greens Bayou flooding while purportedly carrying 6 family members Sunday. #harvey pic.twitter.com/zFhS3J7fRC
— HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) August 30, 2017
Manuel Saldivar, 84, and his wife Belia, 81, were in the car with their great-grandchildren — Devy Saldivar, 16, Dominic Saldivar, 15, Xavier Saldivar, 8, and Daisy Saldivar, 6 — when the rushing waters pushed the van off the road, family members told NBC News.
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Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said during a press conference on Wednesday that the vehicle was located with six bodies inside.
“Initially, we viewed two bodies that appear to be adults in the front seat of the vehicle and we’ve been waiting for additional resources to get out here and investigate further,” Sheriff Gonzalez said. “We were able to retrieve the van and pull it out of water and we can confirm that four other individuals are in the back of the truck.”
Sheriff Gonzalez added that the family is “devastated.”
Sammy Saldivar, the son of Manuel and Belia, was driving the vehicle when it plunged into the bayou, according to what his brother Ric Saldivar told CNN.
After the car was swept away, Sammy managed to get out of his seat belt and climb through the driver’s side window. He held on to a branch for 45 minutes before being rescued.
“The water picked the van up, and it was just floating after that,” Ric told ABC13. “It went head first in, and water came in real fast.”
Sammy told Ric that he tried to open the door to let Manuel and Belia out, but it would not budge.
“He was yelling at the kids to climb out of the back of the van; I’m sure they couldn’t reach it,” Ric said while speaking with the Washington Post. “He could hear the kids screaming but couldn’t push the doors open. That’s what he keeps hearing in his head. And the van just went underwater and was gone.”
Sheriff’s deputies came around to rescue Sammy, but it was too late for his family. A GoFundMe page has been set up for Sammy and his family.
Sheriff Gonzalez is urging everyone that has leads on missing persons or comes across a body in the rising waters to contact the authorities immediately.
“If you find a body please call 911 and report it, secure it as best as you can, if you feel comfortable with it,” he said. “Some folks have tied a body to a tree and it’s very graphic to say it. But that’s the reality we’re living in right now.”
