Texas Mother Dies Saving Her 3-Year-Old Daughter From Harvey Floods

Dominique Mosbergen
Updated

A 41-year-old woman who was trying to save herself and her child died on Tuesday afternoon after being swept away by floodwaters in Beaumont, Texas, police said. Her 3-year-old daughter, who survived, was found “clinging” to her mother’s body.

The unidentified woman had been driving with her daughter when they encountered high water, Beaumont police said in a statement. After pulling into a nearby parking lot, the woman and her child got out of the vehicle.

At some point, police said, the pair were overcome by the current and carried about half a mile from their vehicle into a waterlogged drainage canal. It was there that two police officers and two fire rescue divers who were traveling in an inflatable boat spotted them.

“They were in the water for quite some time,” Officer Carol Riley, a spokesperson for the Beaumont Police Department, told People magazine. “When the baby was found, the baby was clinging to her. The mother did the best she could to keep her child up over the water.”

The mother was unresponsive and later pronounced dead.

The toddler was “responsive but suffering from hypothermia,” authorities said. With the help of a good Samaritan, the child was rushed to an ambulance and taken to an area hospital. She is currently in stable condition.

Her life was “absolutely saved” by her mother, said Riley.

The exact number of Harvey-related deaths remains unclear as “catastrophic” flooding continues to hinder rescue efforts in Texas. Per AP’s latest tally, at least 18 people have died in the state since Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on Friday. Other outlets, including The New York Times, have reported at least 30 confirmed and suspected flood-related deaths.

The fatalities include a Houston police officer who drowned Sunday while driving to work. Six members of the same family, including four children, were presumed dead after a van they were traveling in was engulfed by floodwaters.

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Residents embrace after being rescued from the floodwaters of Tropical Storm Harvey in east Houston, Texas, on Aug. 28, 2017.
Residents embrace after being rescued from the floodwaters of Tropical Storm Harvey in east Houston, Texas, on Aug. 28, 2017.
A Coast Guard helicopter hoists a wheel chair on board after lifting a person to safety in Houston. 
A Coast Guard helicopter hoists a wheel chair on board after lifting a person to safety in Houston. 
A Shell gas station is underwater at the intersection of Wallisville and Uvalde in Houston. 
A Shell gas station is underwater at the intersection of Wallisville and Uvalde in Houston. 
Laquanta Edwards holds her 1-year-old daughter Ladaja (right) and 9-month-old son, LaDarius, after they reached high ground by boat in east Houston.
Laquanta Edwards holds her 1-year-old daughter Ladaja (right) and 9-month-old son, LaDarius, after they reached high ground by boat in east Houston.
Residents use boats to evacuate from floodwaters in east Houston.
Residents use boats to evacuate from floodwaters in east Houston.
A policeman carries a young girl as her family follows, fleeing their home in east Houston.
A policeman carries a young girl as her family follows, fleeing their home in east Houston.
A house and vehicles stand in floodwaters in Spring, Texas. 
A house and vehicles stand in floodwaters in Spring, Texas. 
Shardea Harrison looks at her 3-week-old baby, Sarai Harrison, being held by Dean Mize as he and Jason Legnon used his airboat to rescue them after their neighborhood was inundated with flooding in Houston.
Shardea Harrison looks at her 3-week-old baby, Sarai Harrison, being held by Dean Mize as he and Jason Legnon used his airboat to rescue them after their neighborhood was inundated with flooding in Houston.
Dean Mize (left) and Jason Legnon carry a person to an airboat as they rescue people from their homes in Houston.
Dean Mize (left) and Jason Legnon carry a person to an airboat as they rescue people from their homes in Houston.
A truck driver walks past an abandoned truck while checking the depth of the water at an underpass in Houston.
A truck driver walks past an abandoned truck while checking the depth of the water at an underpass in Houston.
A person walks through a flooded street with a dog in Houston. 
A person walks through a flooded street with a dog in Houston. 
In this handout provided by the Army National Guard, a Texas National Guardsman carries a resident from her flooded home in Houston.
In this handout provided by the Army National Guard, a Texas National Guardsman carries a resident from her flooded home in Houston.
Naomi Coto carries Simba on her shoulders as they evacuate their home in Houston. 
Naomi Coto carries Simba on her shoulders as they evacuate their home in Houston. 
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A resident of Bayou on the Bend watches the first floor flood as the Buffalo Bayou continues to rise in Houston. 
People wait to be rescued from their flooded homes in Houston. 
People wait to be rescued from their flooded homes in Houston. 
People walk down a flooded street in Houston. 
People walk down a flooded street in Houston. 
People wait on a flooded street in Houston. 
People wait on a flooded street in Houston. 
A man helps children across a flooded street in Houston. 
A man helps children across a flooded street in Houston. 
Groups of people walk down a flooded street in Houston. 
Groups of people walk down a flooded street in Houston. 

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.