2-Year-Old Boy Found Dead After Family’s Car Got Swept Away by Floodwaters

A 2-year-old boy who was separated from his father during the floods in California has been found dead.

At around 7:14 p.m. local time on Thursday, Sept. 18, local police and fire departments responded to reports that Brandon Padilla Aguilera, 26, and his son, Xavier, 2, had been separated. The pair had been trying to cross a flooded area of a road on Main Street when their vehicle was “swept off the roadway by floodwaters,” the City of Barstow said in a news release shared on Facebook.

“Brandon was located on an island that had been created by the floodwaters,” according to the news release. “[He] was rescued by Barstow Fire Department personnel, taken to Barstow Community Hospital and later released.”

After an approximately 20-hour search, Xavier was found deceased on Friday, Sept. 19. His body was located at approximately 2:44 p.m. in the San Bernardino County Flood Control channel south of the Mojave River.

A photo released by police shows the hood of the car that was carrying the father and son submerged in floodwaters after being swept away.

Brandon had been driving back home with his son after attending his grandmother’s funeral when they got swept away, his mother, Carolyn Tackett, told ABC7 Los Angeles. 

“My son’s car ended up [with] the bumpers down here under the bridge. My son tried to get out the car, he doesn’t know how to swim, he got my grandson out [and] my son went under,” she told the outlet.

According to Brandon’s family, his condition remains unstable. When rescued, he had water in his lungs and “cuts and bruises all over his arms and legs,” along with an infection from the water, per ABC7 Los Angeles.

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NBC Los Angeles reported that 150 teams were involved in the search operation. They included the Barstow Fire Protection District, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, San Bernardino County Fire’s Swift Water Rescue Team, along with volunteers.

The floods occurred following thunderstorms from Tropical Storm Mario and washed out part of State Route 38 in the San Bernardino Mountains, leaving multiple vehicles stranded and caught in mudslides on the road, NBC News reported, citing the California Department of Transportation.

“Our thoughts remain with the family and all those affected by this tragic event,” the City of Barstow said in their news release.