Mother says 16-year-old son was swept away trying to rescue friend in Galveston water
GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Ashley Garner broke down in tears as she spoke about her 16-year-old son Nicholas, who she claims is one of boys who was swept away in the water off the Galveston shore.
"He was just the type where if anybody was in trouble, it doesn't matter, it could've been a burning building, he would've just gone," she said.
The teen was among a group of kids from a local shelter, Children's Center Incorporated, that were at an outing at the beach.
According to search crews, the 16-year-old ran into the water to try and save an 11-year-old boy. Both were swept away and have not been located.
Garner said her son has been in and out of child protective service care for the past three years and she received a phone call alerting her to what had happened.
"(The caseworker) comes and tells us that he went with the shelter, the boys' group shelter, to Moody Gardens and for some reason they went to the beach," she said.
A red flag warning was issued for the beach that day and Garner is questioning why the kids were permitted to play in the water.
"I just don't know why they would let them go in the water with the red flags," she said. "The field trip was to Moody Gardens, not the beach."
