12-Year-Old Found Dead After Being Swept Away in Flash Flood Remembered as Always Having a 'Smile on His Face'
Jordan Sims, the 12-year-old boy who went missing during a flash flood in Virginia on May 13, is believed to have died following the discovery of a body
The seventh grader "always had a smile on his face," said his aunt Heather Breeden
His aunt said Jordan went with his older sister to see the flood waters for himself, then slipped and was carried away by the waterFamily and friends are remembering Jordan Sims for his charisma and cheer.
Jordan, the 12-year-old boy who went missing during a flash flood in Virginia on May 13, is believed to have died in the flood after search crews found a body around 8:45 a.m. the next morning, per a statement from Albemarle County Fire Rescue. Following the heartbreaking news, Jordan's aunt Heather Breeden told The Washington Post that her nephew was a funny, athletic and happy young boy.
"People could be in a bad mood, and he would just come in there and he would cheer you up," Breeden told the outlet. "He always had a smile on his face."
A seventh grader at Henley Middle School in Crozet, Virginia, Jordan loved basketball and golf, video games like Fortnite and Call of Duty and R&B and rap music.
Jordan's classmates observed two minutes of silence in his memory, said Breeden's daughter, who is in the same grade as her cousin. Breeden got a glimpse of a poster honoring Jordan, which simply read "Rest in peace, Jordan," and had been signed by many classmates.
"Jordan was a valued member of our Henley community. He was bright, kind and deeply loved by classmates and staff alike,' wrote Henley Principal Rick Vrhovac, per the Post. 'His loss is devastating, and we know it will affect every member of our school family in different ways.'
Breeden said Jordan had dismissed his grandmother's warning about the floodwaters and went with his older sister to see it for himself. It was then that Jordan slipped, Breeden continued, and the boy fell into the water and was carried out by the water before his sister could help him.
After searching on her own on Tuesday, May 12, Breeden joined the search crew on Wednesday morning. She told the Post that Jordan's body was found roughly 500 meters from where he first slipped.
'The rescuers … they did their job, they tried,' Breeden said in an interview, per the Post.
PEOPLE reached out to Jordan's family but did not receive an immediate response.
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Albemarle County Fire Rescue Chief Dan Eggleston said in a statement that though the body had not been positively identified as of May 14, the discovery was a "heartbreaking outcome."
"Our hearts are with the Sims' family and loved ones," said Eggleston. "We are incredibly grateful to our local and regional partners who supported this search effort with urgency, professionalism and care."
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