TRAGIC

California Father Swept Away by Floodwaters While Trying to Reach Stranded Kids

Three children were waiting for him inside the home when he was reportedly caught in a current.

A California father died while attempting to walk through floodwaters to reach three stranded children, SFGate reports. The man was reportedly swept away by floodwaters Wednesday night after attempting to walk from his barn back to his home through 4 to 5 foot waters with a “fast-moving current,” according to a Humboldt County Sheriff's Office. Three of his children were reportedly waiting for him inside the home. Two adults and a child, left stranded in the floodwaters inside a tractor, reportedly saw the man struggling and tried to save him by driving the tractor over to him. But the tractor stalled and they lost sight of the man. The three inside the tractor were rescued later that evening, and the man was found dead early Thursday morning. Police have not yet identified the man. The state's Eel River is experiencing flooding, which reportedly crested at 25.67 feet on Wednesday afternoon. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the last time the river's waters reached that level was in Feb. 1986.