Boy, 13, swept into STORM drain after playing outside during flooding
The unnamed 13-year-old was with a group of friends outside their Mount Airy apartment complex, approximately 40 miles west of Baltimore, when a severe storm hit Thursday.
The teen became trapped amid the height of the storm at around 5.20pm, according to the Mount Airy Police Department.
Desperate neighbors frantically tried to pull him from the rapidly rising waters but were unsuccessful.
'I flew out of the car, jumped into the water and started yanking on him. We just couldn't get him out,' neighbor Maggie McBain told WBAL.
First responders arrived at the scene and found the boy 'waist deep' in water rising 'very quickly', Doug Alexander, the public information officer for the Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company, told WJZ.
'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 in this with the Mt. Airy Fire Department for 58 years, and this is, this is one of the worst situations I've seen.'
The operation tragically shifted from rescue to recovery.
'The individual was ultimately recovered from the storm drain but, unfortunately, succumbed to injuries sustained during the event,' Police Chief Michael Ginevra added.
'Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim's family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.
'We ask the community to keep them in their hearts and to recognize the dedication of the first responders who answered the call without hesitation.'
Most of the state was under a flash flood watch Thursday evening and experienced severe storms, reported Fox45.
Mount Airy was pelted with five inches of rain in a matter of hours.
One neighbor, Chadwick Colson, told the local news outlets he saw some kids playing outside the Mount Airy apartment complex when the rain started.
'Playing around, jumping across the water, because when it rains it really kind of comes through here like a river,' Colson said.
He explained that his apartment was flooded with water up to his ankles and that he was worried about having to move.
'I don't know if we can stay here tonight,' Colson said late Thursday.
'One, the apartments flooded, and two, that's 40 feet from my door. You would think it would be some type of metal bars, metal grate, something blocking the hole.'
Senator Justin Ready also paid tribute to the rescue workers and expressed condolences to the victim's family.
'Absolutely horrific news in Mt. Airy this evening due to this storm,' he said.
'Our whole community's deepest condolences to the family of this young person. Thank you to first responders for their efforts. This is just awful'
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