Child Drowns After Being Swept Into Drainage Pipe In MD Storm

A 13-year-old boy died after being swept into a drainage pipe during a sudden and intense rainstorm Thursday evening in Mt. Airy, Maryland.

First responders recovered the teen’s body around 5:30 p.m. in the 200 block of Watersville Road, according to the Mt. Airy Volunteer Fire Company. Officials said he lived in an apartment complex near the drainage area.

Fire spokesperson Doug Alexander explained that stormwater from the complex drains into a grassy area, where a powerful current pulled the boy into a pipe.

“The pipe is so small, and this is a child’s body that fits in there, was pushed in there by the current,” Alexander said. “The current was extremely strong, according to the guys who were on the scene here. I’ve been with the Mt. Airy Fire Department for 58 years, and this is one of the worst situations I’ve seen.”

Alexander said floodwaters had risen to waist or chest height as crews tried to rescue the teen.

Neighbors described the moments leading up to the tragedy. Chadwick Colson said he saw children playing outside as the storm began.

“They were jumping across the water, because when it rains, it really kind of comes through here like a river,” Colson said.

His own apartment flooded up to his ankles, and he worried about his family’s safety.

“I don’t know if we can stay here tonight. One, the apartment’s flooded, and two, that drain is 40 feet from my door. You’d think there would be metal bars or a grate covering it.”

Both neighbors and fire officials stressed the importance of taking flash flood warnings seriously.

“Take the warnings more seriously when they tell you to stay inside and get out,” Colson said. “That’s there for a reason.”

Alexander echoed the message: “Whenever you have children near the water, you want somebody watching. This storm came up very fast.”

Child Drowns After Being Swept Into Drainage Pipe During Storm In Maryland  was originally published on wolbbaltimore.com