Latest news with #DevahWoods
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Brenham community supporting family of 10-year-old Devah Woods, found days after drowning
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The Brief The community in Brenham is coming together to support the family of 10-year-old Devah Woods. A bank account is being opened at Brenham National Bank for Devah Woods so the community can donate Members of the community have also set up a "Meal Train" for the Woods family. BRENHAM, TX - Roughly 24 hours after 10-year-old Devah Wood's passing, the Brenham community is coming together to support her family. The family's pastor, Kevin Mitchell at Goodwill Missionary Baptist Church, says many people in Brenham are hurting, but he wanted to empower people quickly to help their family. 'A joy to see' What they're saying Lead pastor Kevin Mitchell says he met with Devah's mom, and she is doing the best she possibly can at this time. He adds the community is also grief-stricken by what happened to Devah. Pastor Mitchell says many members of his church were close to Devah and her family. He remembered when she came to his church in 2024 during vacation bible school, adding she was like any other kid who would run and play with friends at church. "Fun to see. Actually, just on Sunday, she was running around playing, and we were watching her, and we had her some cupcakes and nachos after church," said Pastor Mitchell. "A joy to see. She was a part of our praise dance team with our girls, and I think she enjoyed that." At this time, Pastor Mitchell says he asks people to continue to pray for her family and support them. You can help Devah Woods' family What you can do Pastor Mitchell actually worked in a matter of 24 hours to empower people to get an account set up for her family at Brenham National Bank. "We have opened a fund account through Brenham National Bank. One that's local in town, there is one in Chappel Hill, and two are in Bryan, Texas. We're still trying to set up a way to give so you don't have to go directly into the bank," said Pastor Mitchell. "Our main focus is to help the family and meet whatever needs in longevity and in recent now immediately." Make checks payable to: The Devah Woods Benefit Branch Locations: Brenham Branch : 2211 South Day Street, Brenham, TX 77833 College Station – Southwest Parkway: 2470 Earl Rudder Fwy South, College Station, TX 77840 College Station – Caprock : 4466 State Highway 6 South, College Station, TX 77845 Chappell Hill Branch: 9005 U.S. Highway 290 East, Chappell Hill, TX 77426 Pastor Mitchell says others have worked to put together a meal train. "So the meal train is an online meal page or hub where people can go and sign up saying I'm going to bring this item, these foods this day and this schedules, so people are not doubling up on things and coming at the same time," said Pastor Mitchell. The Source FOX 26 reporter Leslie DelasBour spoke to Pastor Kevin Mitchell with Goodwill Missionary Baptist Church.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Neighbors recall final moments trying to save 10-year-old Brenham girl swept away by flood waters
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The Brief 10-year-old Devah Woods was found Tuesday morning after being swept away by flood waters One neighbor shared the moments he saw the 10-year-old and her sister being swept by the rushing water A second neighbor recalled moments he jumped into rushing waters to try and save the 10-year-old, but could only save her sister. BRENHAM, Texas - Neighbors in a small Brenham neighborhood say they witnessed and tried to save 10-year-old Devah Woods, who was swept away by floodwaters. Joe Grant retraced his steps and says he did everything he could to save 10-year-old Devah Woods. He says the water swept Devah and her sister away in the blink of an eye. Timeline Neighbors recall the moment a 10-year-old "slipped" and was swept away by rushing water Joe Grant says he was standing at his doorstep when he noticed 10-year-old Devah Woods and her sister walking home with their backpacks on. "I was standing at my door right across the street over there and this is where she fell. Right here. They was coming up from walking down from there. Her and her siblings, the two little girls, and right about here, they were stomping and going on. Next thing I know, I seen one of them she slipped and fell," Grant said. "The current here was real powerful going down here. They had backpacks on them and I guess by them having their backpacks on them, it made them float." Grant took video and posted it to his Facebook page. He says this video is from the moments before the girls were walking, slipped, and fell into the water. "She was floating right here on her back, and I'm still thinking she could get up out of this," Grant said. "The other one she saw her fall and she was hollering at her little sister at the time," Grant added. Grant said, although it took him a few minutes to recount what happened, it only took a few seconds for the little girls to be swept away. He says he wishes he would have reacted sooner, but it all happened so fast. "The water was going in a circle and woosh and just took them," said Grant. "One of them hit right here first and then the other one went on around that way. She hit up against this car and that's when I came down right here, and I thought maybe I could get them." Second neighbor recalls the moment he jumped into the bayou with rushing water and tried to save both girls Another neighbor recalls the moment he jumped in the rushing water to save both girls. Charles Rogers says he jumped in rushing water to try and save both Devah and her sister, but unfortunately was only able to save one. "The water was flowing very hard. That's when I got down there and that's when I lost track of one of them," Rogers said. "The water was pushing them hard." Rogers walked us down the bayou where there is a drop with a bridge over it. That's where he said he lost 10-year-old Devah out of his arms due to the force of the water. "We got to the other side. I was able to grab her, hold her up, and pull her to safety," said Rogers, "They were screaming and crying, and one girl was saying, please save me, and I was doing the best I could." Rogers says it breaks his heart he could not save both of the girls. "I just lost her going that way, during the current, I had both of them, but I lost one," Rogers said. "I went down in the ditch, I was able to grab her to safety and throw her up on land, and then I wanted to go try and see if I can rescue the other one, but it was too late," Rogers says processing what happened to 10-year-old Devah was tough for him, but he prayed about it. "I just prayed on it. I prayed hard last night on it, and I prayed hard this morning, but thankful that we found the other one," said Rogers. The Source FOX 26 Reporter Leslie DelasBour spoke with neighbors about what happened.
Epoch Times
07-05-2025
- Epoch Times
Rescue Crews Recover Body of 10-Year-Old Girl Swept Away by Texas Floodwaters
The body of a 10-year-old girl who was swept away by surging floodwaters in Brenham, Texas has been found, as severe weather continues to threaten southeastern Texas and the Gulf Coast. Devah Woods, a third-grade student at Brenham Elementary School, Around 4 p.m., the sisters encountered rapidly rising waters from a creek, according to Melinda Gordon, a spokesperson for the city. Authorities are uncertain whether Devah slipped and fell or was pulled in by the current, but her sister ran to seek help. A man who witnessed the incident and a Brenham police officer both made attempts to rescue Devah, but were unable to reach her in the swift water, according to Gordon. The man managed to grab her backpack, but she was carried away. Both the man and the officer were treated by paramedics and released. Related Stories 4/30/2025 4/21/2025 Rescue efforts began immediately, with teams searching through the night. The Brenham Fire Department, working with more than a dozen supporting agencies, deployed drones equipped with thermal imaging and search dogs in hopes of locating the missing girl. However, as heavy thunderstorms moved into the area, the operation was scaled back for safety reasons, the department said in a Early Tuesday, four swift water rescue teams resumed the search. Around 10:45 a.m., a dive team from the Texas Department of Public Safety located Devah's body 1.2 miles from where she was last seen, according to Brenham Police Lt. Steven Eilert. 'We have taken care of her as much as we could. Our hearts go out to (her) family. It is a difficult thing,' Eilert said during a news conference. Devah's mother attended the news conference but did not speak. The tragedy has shaken the Brenham community, which has a population of about 19,000 and is located roughly 70 miles northwest of Houston. Mayor Atwood Kenjura described the city as a 'very, very special community, very tight-knit Christian community.' He said, 'The response from everyone was overwhelming. We don't like the outcome that happened.' At Brenham Elementary School, support services are being offered to students and staff. The Brenham Independent School District said in a The region is still recovering from last week's storms, which caused widespread flooding and travel disruptions across southern Oklahoma and northern Texas, according to the National Weather Service. The Associated Press contributed to this report. From
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Girl, 10, Found Dead After Being Swept Away by Floodwaters While Walking Home from School with Sister
Devah Woods was swept up by flash floods on her walk home from school and was found deceased the next day Devah Woods, 10, went missing amid flooding in Brenham, Texas, due to severe storms on Monday, May 5 Following an intensive search, she was found dead the following morning "We ask everyone to continue thinking and praying for Devah's family during this unimaginable time," read a statement from city officials A 10-year-old girl who was swept away by floodwaters in Texas has been found dead, according to authorities. "With profound sadness, the City of Brenham confirms that at approximately 10:00 AM on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, 10-year-old Devah Woods, a third-grade student at Brenham Elementary, was found deceased following a two-day intensive search," officials wrote in a news release. "Our hearts are with the Woods family as they navigate this devastating loss," they added. ADVERTISEMENT Woods went missing on Monday, May 5, after severe storms caused fast-rising floodwaters to move through Brenham, according to the Brenham Fire Department. Related: Search Underway for Missing 10-Year-Old Girl Swept Away by 'Rapidly Rising Floodwaters' in Texas Around 4:30 p.m. local time that day, Woods and her sister were walking home from school when the floods swept her up, according to ABC affiliate KTRK-TV and local Fox station KDFW. Her sister was able to find help and is safe. "This is normal behavior for her to walk home and walk by the creek and get to her house. This was nothing unusual," Melinda Gordon, with the City of Brenham, told KTRK-TV. "This was a quickly rising creek that nobody could have seen coming." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Several bystanders and police officers attempted to rescue Woods, but the flood took her away. One officer was also swept away by the water during the rescue attempt but was located downstream and treated by EMS. ADVERTISEMENT Rescue efforts utilized land-based search teams as well as drones equipped with thermal imaging and specially trained canines, officials said, noting that a total of 24 local agencies joined in the search to find her. Brenham Fire Department/Facebook Brenham Fire Department truck At a press conference, Lieutenant Steven Tyler said their hearts went out to Devah's mother, Veronica Williams, as well as the girl's entire family, according to local station KBTX-TV. In their statement, officials wrote that the girl's death "has deeply affected our community." "We ask everyone to continue thinking and praying for Devah's family during this unimaginable time," they continued. "In the face of heartache, Brenham has shown what it means to come together — with strength, compassion, and unity." Read the original article on People
Miami Herald
06-05-2025
- Climate
- Miami Herald
10-year-old swept away by floodwaters found dead after search, Texas cops say
National 10-year-old swept away by floodwaters found dead after search, Texas cops say A third grade student was swept away by a flood during a severe storm, Texas fire officials said. Searchers found her dead. Screengrab from Brenham ISD on Facebook A community-wide search located the body of a 10-year-old girl after she was swept away by floodwaters during a severe storm, Texas fire officials said. The third grader, Devah Woods, vanished into the storm on May 5, which launched a dangerous hourslong search throughout Brenham, the fire department said in a Facebook post. First responders immediately began search efforts after Woods went missing, police said, but officers were also caught in the threatening floods and rescued, according to officials. 'Our hearts are broken for Devah's family, and we ask that you continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this unimaginably difficult time,' Brenham Independent School District said in a May 6 news release. Authorities from up to 24 agencies scoured bodies of water in the area for the girl, officials said, but the severe weather made efforts difficult. Woods' body was found around 10 a.m. on May 6, authorities said. 'In the face of heartache, Brenham has shown what it means to come together—with strength, compassion, and unity,' fire officials said. Brenham is about a 75-mile drive northwest from Houston. Kate Linderman mcclatchy-newsroom Go to X Email this person Kate Linderman covers national news for McClatchy's real-time team. She reports on politics and crime and courts news in the Midwest. Kate is a 2023 graduate of DePaul University and is based in Chicago.
