Helicopters, drones used to expand search for 8-year-old girl missing after crash
Texas authorities are expanding their search for an 8-year-old girl who went missing after a car crash on Christmas Eve morning and are considering other “target areas of interest.”
Officials in Sherman, Texas, said an SUV from Durant, Oklahoma, carrying six people was swept away by floods on Highway 75 around 9:30 a.m. and crashed into a drainage ditch.
Four days later, Sherman Police Chief Jason Jeffcoat said an 8-year-old girl, Clara Robinson, was still missing.
Beloved high school coach and father Will Robinson poses with his family before his tragic accident on Christmas Eve.
High school basketball coach dead, 8-year-old daughter missing after Christmas Eve tragedy
“Search teams are continuing their efforts in Post Oak Creek, close to where the initial rescue efforts were located,” Jeffcoat said. “There are also teams in Post Oak Creek and 10 miles of Choctaw Creek. Search within the range.”
On Friday, the police department used K9 units, dive teams, drone teams and helicopters to continue the search for Robinson.
The teams include members from the Sherman Fire Department, Sherman Police Department, Sherman Fire Rescue, Grayson County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Dek Personnel from Saskatchewan Task Force 2, Texas Department of Emergency Management, Grayson County Office of Emergency Management, Public Works and local rescue diver Brady Baskin.
Texas Task Force 2 broke into teams to conduct the search, focusing on creeks and other unspecified “target areas of interest.”
Sherman officials said they will continue to search for Clara until she is found.
KXII shared a photo of the overturned vehicle. (KXII)
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Will Robinson, a father of four, including Clara, died while trying to rescue a 5-year-old girl who was unconscious when rescuers arrived.
The girl was later reunited with her family, which fire officials called “one of the blessings in this tragedy.”
“Father [had] At one point during the event, he held the little girl and they were no longer together, so it looked like he was trying to save her — of course,” said Bart Bowman of Sherman Fire Rescue.
Police praised Will Robinson for saving a 5-year-old girl who was also involved in a crash. (Irving Foundation)
“One of our guys found the little girl underwater, pulled her out and handed her over to a paramedic who was with him,” Bowman said. “That paramedic took her to CPR was performed on her in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. … In a near-drowning situation like this, she was discharged from the hospital the next day with no issues, which is absolutely remarkable.
Community members told Fox 4 that Will Robinson was the girls basketball coach at Durant High School in Oklahoma.
“He always takes CJ with him [his daughter, Clara] Practice, she’s always hanging out with us,” Kimley Hill said.
Players pointed to Robinson as an understanding coach and said he went out of his way to keep them in a positive mindset.
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“He was very patient with us girls,” player Emery Morse said. “Honestly, I don’t remember him ever raising his voice in anger at us. … [He and C.J] Definitely two peas in a pod. They were always together during training and CJ would run up to him or ask for a snack.
Fox Texas Digital, Fox 4’s Dan Godwin and David Sentendrey contributed to this story.
