Father Loses Grip, Ariz. 6 Year Old Boy Swept Way In Flood

[Purveyor]

(01-22) 15:50 PST Flagstaff, Ariz. (AP) --

A father clung to his son and a tree in a rain-swollen northern Arizona river before losing his grip on the 6-year-old boy, who was swept away by the rushing waters and is presumed dead, a fire chief said.

Searchers spent Friday looking for the boy's body with no success, a day after David and Katrina Baudek of rural Mayer loaded their two children, Jacob and Desiree, into a pickup during a powerful winter storm. They were trying to get Jacob to a hospital because he was sick, authorities said.

The family left their home about 70 miles north of Phoenix and headed out on a dirt road that normally is passable.

Tributaries of the nearby Agua Fria River had already flooded local roads. The Baudeks crossed one of them, then decided travel was too dangerous and turned back. They made it 40 feet across a 50-foot wash when the fast-moving water caught their Chevrolet Avalanche and carried it 20 feet downstream, said Mayer Fire Chief Glenn Brown.

Katrina Baudek escaped to higher ground as her husband moved the two children into the truck's bed for safety.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/22/national/a090123S66.DTL#ixzz0dOE1tMzM

[sufrommich]

1. God, how terribly sad. A nightmare for a parent. nt

[Cronus Protagonist]

2. I fel sorry for the kid

His parents failed him. They should never have done what they did.

[sufrommich]

3. I'm sure it will haunt them for the rest of their lives. nt

[Cronus Protagonist]

6. I have no doubt.

Probably would be worse than a jail sentence for negligence and child endangerment, for which they should now face charges.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

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[GMA]

4. This is too sad for words.

After the good news of the dog rescued from the L.A. River, this takes the wind right out of me...

[Purveyor]

9. It really is. I hope the family can gather the strength to overcome this nightmare that will haunt

them for the rest of their lives.

Godspeed to this family.

[panader0]

5. So sad. Really bad weather here in Az lately.

"Blizzard" warning here near the border at 4600 ft. Very windy, rainy and cold. 94 MPH winds in this state yesterday. I ain't used to this shit.

[malaise]

8. Too sad

That poor father :cry: