Authorities are searching for a woman who was swept away in a vehicle by flash flood waters in the Texas Hill Country on Monday morning, officials said.
The woman was inside the vehicle when fast-moving flood waters carried it away in Bandera County on June 15, according to the Bandera County Sheriff’s Office. Officials have not released the her age or identity.
Multiple emergency agencies were searching the area of Lower Mason Creek Road and Chipman Lane as of late Monday morning, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post shared at 11:39 a.m.
In an interview with News 4 San Antonio, Sheriff Josh Teitge said law enforcement agencies received a 911 phone call from a woman as she floated down the river at around 5:30 a.m. on Monday.
Dispatchers maintained contact with her as her vehicle was pulled out by flood waters, attempting to track her location as she described nearby landmarks, before losing contact with her after about 15 to 20 minutes, the sheriff said in the interview.
The Texas Department of Public Safety and the Center Point Volunteer Fire Department are assisting with the search. DPS is also using a helicopter to survey the area.
Authorities are urging the public to stay away from the search area so emergency crews can work safely.
“While we appreciate the community’s willingness to help, it is critical that first responders have unobstructed access to conduct their operations safely and efficiently,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
Officials asked people not to attempt to join the search and to avoid the area until further notice.