Bodies of 4 kids, 2 great-grandparents recovered after van swept away in Greens Bayou
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The bodies of four children and their two great-grandparents have been recovered after their family van was swept away in by floodwaters near Greens Bayou.
The family's van was located Wednesday morning after getting swept away on Sunday. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed all six missing family members were inside the van.
Devy Saldivar, 16; Dominic Saldivar, 14; Xavier Saldivar, 8; and Daisy Saldivar, 6, were traveling with their great-grandparents Belia and Manuel Saldivar and their uncle Manuel "Sammy" Saldivar in the van, which had been borrowed from a family member.
Ric Saldivar is the great-uncle of the four children. He told ABC13 the family encouraged Sammy to get the family out after the water began to rise around their home.
The family had just made their way over a bridge when the vehicle was caught in the swollen bayou. Sammy was behind the wheel when he lost control of the vehicle.
"The water picked the van up, and it was just floating after that," Ric said. "It went head first in, and water came in real fast."
Sammy was able to escape the van and grab hold of a tree branch. But the van quickly became submerged in the floodwaters.
According to his uncle, Sammy yelled for the kids to get out, but it was too late. The van was bobbing up and down in the floodwaters as the children screamed.
"That keeps playing in his head," Ric said.
A Gofundme account created to help support the family has raised thousands of dollars.
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