A Kentucky mother has been left heartbroken after her nine-year-old son tragically died in violent floodwaters.
Racheal Andrews’s son Gabriel was walking to his school bus stop on Friday morning when he was swept away after torrential rain devastated the Frankfort area.
Gabriel, who had celebrated his birthday only three days prior, had left home about 6:35am but never made it to school.
By 8:35am, Gabriel’s body was found about ‘half a mile from where he reportedly was swept away,’ the Franklin County Coroner’s Office said.
Neighbors of the young boy described the bus route the children take, and many kids who live in their apartment block have to hop over a drain to get to the bus, CNN reported.
A days-long state of emergency had been issued for Kentucky amid the intense weather.
The tragedy has left locals fuming, with some parents hitting out at the school for not cancelling or delaying classes amid the flood warnings in place.
Caitlin Green told WLKY: ‘The rain was coming down hard. They had already called off certain bus routes in the area due to flooded roadways.’
Gabriel Andrews, 9, left his home at around 6.30am on Friday morning but never made it to school after he was swept away in dangerous floodwaters. His body was found over two hours later ‘half a mile’ away
Kentucky was hit especially hard by the storms, leaving locals tragically enduring several deaths. Frankfort residents were kept under curfew on Sunday. On Monday, the river reached 17 feet above the flood stage at 48.14 feet
At around 5am that morning, Franklin County Schools posted notices that two bus routes needed to be cancelled due to the flooding.
‘If you child rides one of these buses and is unable to attend school, please contact your child’s school,’ the post said. ‘Thank you and stay safe everyone.’
Gabriel’s grieving mom told ABC News: ‘There never should have been school that day.’
The mother of one of Gabriel’s schoolmates, Makala Reed, shared to Facebook: ‘Franklin County Schools SHAME ON YOU for having school today!!!
‘How do you send a notice out to families letting them know 2 busses can’t go on route due to flood waters and those students will have an excused absence but make everyone else go??
‘We’re under a flood warning, you should have called school off for the whole county.’
In an interview with CNN, Reed said: ‘I’m just in total shock at how bad this flooding has been and the fact that we [were] under a state emergency… Yet they still had school even after a child lost their life. Schools should have been closed down immediately following that incident.’
Gabriel is remembered by one of his teachers, Kasey Swails, as ‘the sweetest, kindest boy who was impossible not to love’
However, others have said it was a tragedy that couldn’t have been predicted.
‘This is a tragic event with lots of pain so let’s don’t go around blaming people… let’s show love and support for the community. It’s not the time or place to be pointing fingers,’ one resident wrote.
‘Let the family grieve instead of fighting over who [is] to blame. It was an accident that nobody could’ve predicted,’ another said.
Gabriel is remembered by one of his teachers, Kasey Swails, as ‘the sweetest, kindest boy who was impossible not to love.’
‘[He] loved to play basketball and anything to do with a police car, who tried his best at any task given to him. Who was a friend to all,’ Swails wrote on Facebook.
‘…today has been the most heartbreaking day in my teaching career,’ she added.
Franklin County Schools Superintendent Mark Kopp issued a statement on Facebook, which said: ‘We are deeply saddened at this horrific tragedy that claimed the life of one of our students.
‘The entire Franklin County School System is praying for the family and friends of those directly affected by the events this morning. We are more than a school system, we are a family at Franklin County Schools, and we share this loss together,’ the statement said.
Neighbors of the young boy described the bus route the children take, and many kids who live in their apartment block have to hop over a drain to get to the bus
Franklin County Schools Superintendent Mark Kopp issued a statement on Facebook, which said: ‘We are deeply saddened at this horrific tragedy that claimed the life of one of our students’
The violent storms hit from Kansas to Pennsylvania as the National Weather Service issued 847 flood reports across 16 states
Gabriel’s funeral will take place on Wednesday. He is survived by his mother and his siblings, Hannah and Jace Andrews, Nathaniel Shell and Peyton Dunn.
In a heartbreaking post on Facebook, his mom wrote: ‘I’m so sorry baby boy…my heart is shattered, and I am so lost without your sweet loving face.’
His obituary said: ‘Though Gabriel may no longer walk among us, his spirit lives on in the memories held dear by his family and friends, a guiding light that illuminates their paths in times of darkness.’
Severe storms hit from Kansas to Pennsylvania as the National Weather Service issued 847 flood reports across 16 states, Fox Weather reported.
Fatalities spanned across Kentucky, Tennessee Missouri, Georgia, Arkansas, Mississippi and Indiana, with at least 23 deaths.
Frankfort residents were kept under curfew on Sunday after the Kentucky River reached record high levels.
On Monday, the river reached 17 feet above the flood stage at 48.14 feet, the outlet reported.
The Kentucky National Guard released 350 soldiers and airmen to help with water rescues and help stranded residents.
