3-year-old Found Dead in Texas Creek

May 29--A 3-year-old girl died Tuesday night in Caldwell County after a flooded creek swept her away.

The girl fell into the creek around 5 p.m. Tuesday at a rural property in the 1400 block of Rolling Ridge Road about three miles north of Lockhart, officials said. They said a neighbor saw the girl's 5-year-old brother clinging to a tree in the water and called 911 about five minutes after she was last seen.

The boy was saved, but authorities did not find his sister upon arrival. Chisholm Trail Volunteer Fire Rescue, Lockhart EMS, Texas Search and Rescue and Caldwell County Emergency Management began scouring the area.

The search was briefly suspended around 9 p.m. as a severe thunderstorm moved through the area.

After restarting the search, emergency responders found the girl's body around 11 p.m., roughly 75 yards downstream from where she fell into the water. She was pronounced dead at the scene and an autopsy has been ordered, the officials said.

Recent rains had flooded the creek, creating a flowing current. The unnamed creek flows into Plum Creek east of Lockhart.

The Caldwell County district attorney's office is investigating the incident. It was unclear whether the girl's parents would face any charges in connection with the incident, officials said.

Her father was in the Caldwell County Jail when the incident occurred on an unrelated charge of driving while license invalid, officials said. He was released Wednesday.

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