New Phase Of Flood Search,Recovery For The Children Begins Saturday

Search and recovery teams will begin a new phase this weekend in the search for two children missing since the Memorial Weekend floods now that lower water levels have exposed areas near the Blanco River that were previously inaccessible.

Several private organizations are sending teams to assist with the new phase, including Texas Search and Rescue, Alamo Area Search and Rescue, and Travis County Search and Rescue. The teams will be in Caldwell County on Friday, Aug.14 and Saturday Aug. 15. They will move their search efforts to Hays County on Aug. 21 and 22.

Search and rescue teams have been working continuously since Memorial Weekend to find six-year-old William Charba and four-year-old Leighton McComb. The children were last seen at 100 Deer Crossing in Wimberley when the home they were in was swept away in floodwater.

Every week since the flood, teams from across the state, including teams from the children’s hometown of Corpus Christi, have been combing areas in Hays and Caldwell Counties in search of the missing children.

Crews have recovered and identified nine bodies of flood victims since the May 24 flood, including friends and relatives of the missing children. No recoveries have been made since early June.

·         William Randall Charba, age 42, found near Bluffview Drive near Wimberley

·         Dayton Larry Thomas, age 74, found in northern San Marcos May 24

·         Michelle Marie Carey-Charba, age 43, found May 25 in Caldwell County

·         Jose Alvaro Arteaga-Pichardo, age 29, found in the area of Loop 165 in Wimberley May 26

·         Jonathan Andrew McComb, age 6, found May 27 near Water Park Road and RR 3237 in Wimberley

·         Ralph Hugh Carey, White Male, age 73, found May 28 near Fox Road northwest of San Marcos

·         Sue McNeil Carey, White Female, age 71, found May 30 at Lime Kiln and Water Tower Roads in San Marcos

·         Laura Schultz McComb, White Female, age 34, found May 30 near the Blanco River near the 700 Block of Bluffview Road in Wimberley

·         Kenneth Reissig, White Male, age 81, found May 28 near the Blanco River at Narrows Road, near the Blanco/Hays County line.

·         William Charba, White Male, age 6 (DOB: 01/29/09) last seen at 100 Deer Crossing, Wimberley

·         Leighton McComb, White Female, age 4 (DOB: 07/23/10) last seen at 100 Deer Crossing, Wimberley