Photo: Youtube / San Luis Obispo County Sherriff's Office.
The floods have been devastating.
By Alexandra Blogier — Written on Jan 12, 2023
The parents of a missing 5-year-old boy who got swept away in the record-breaking flooding in California have spoken out to share the boy’s last words to his mother.
5-year-old Kyle Doan and his mother Lindsy were on their way to school on Monday, January 9, when their car got stuck in the rising flood around 7:45 am.
While witnesses were able to pull Lindsy from the car, Kyle began to float downstream.
Kyle’s father Brian stated that his wife was “in the water, my son's in the water ahead of her. She's trying to fight debris in the water as she's getting pushed and pulled down."
Kyle Doan's mom recalled her son's heartbreaking last words before the flood swept him away.
Lindsy noted in an interview with Inside Edition on January 11, that in those last moments, "the current kept pulling me down. And every time I gasped and I looked up he was looking at me.”
When asked if Kyle said anything to her after the car crash, Lindsy reported that her son told her, “‘Mommy, it's gonna be okay. Just be calm and it's gonna be okay.'”
After their vehicle got stuck in the flood, Lindsy and Kyle had no choice but to escape the car as it became submerged underwater, at which point Kyle was swept away.
Lindsy told of the compassion she’s received from others but is having a hard time accepting.
She’s been told by those around her that "'You can't blame yourself. You need to stop thinking about what-ifs and stuff.’ But it's really hard, and it's going to take a really long time."
Lindsy posted a message of hope on Facebook, writing “I know this is a long shot. He has not been found. Our hearts are broken. He is without food, shelter... if anyone sees him, please PLEASE contact 911. We are at a loss."
The search and rescue mission that started on January 9th after Kyle’s disappearance was postponed until the 10th when the weather grew too dangerous to continue.
17 firefighters and a California Highway Patrol helicopter tried to find the missing child, yet so far have been unsuccessful in locating him.
According to the Cambria Community Services District Fire Chief, authorities have found only a child’s shoe at the scene of Kyle’s disappearance.
Kyle attended kindergarten at Larsen Elementary School in San Miguel, California, where his mother Lindsy is also a teacher.
The San Miguel Joint Union School District Superintendent Karen Grandoli made a statement on Kyle’s disappearance, in which she stated that "San Miguel is a small, very close-knit community and everyone has the family in their thoughts and prayers during this unfathomable tragedy. The family and others are continuing to search for him in hopes that he might be found."
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers celebrity gossip, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.