13-year-old drowns after washing into drainage pipe during strong storm

Fire spokesperson Doug Alexander explained that there is a storm drain tank outside of an apartment complex, and when it overflows, the water drains out into a grassy area where the child was swept away by the current and drowned. (Credit: WJZ via CNN Newsource)

MT. AIRY, Maryland - A 13-year-old boy drowned after being swept into a drainage pipe during a heavy rainstorm on Thursday evening in Maryland.

The teenager was found around 5:30 p.m. in the 200 block of Watersville Road in Mt. Airy, a Mt. Airy Volunteer Fire Company spokesperson said. Firefighters said the child lived in one of the apartments in the area.

Fire spokesperson Doug Alexander explained that there is a storm drain tank outside of an apartment complex, and when it overflows, the water drains out into a grassy area where the child was swept away by the current and drowned.

Alexander said the water was chest to waist deep as first responders tried to pull the teen from the drain.

“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.”

Neighbor Chadwick Colson said that when the heavy rain started, he saw some kids playing outside his apartment.

“Playing around, jumping across the water, because when it rains it really kind of comes through here like a river,” Colson said.

Colson said his apartment was also flooded with water up to his ankles. He worries his family may have 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.”

Neighbors and first responders agree that flash floods can pop up quickly, and it’s important to stay weather aware when storms like this push through.

“Take the warnings more seriously when they tell you to stay inside and get out, do what they say. That’s there for a reason,” Colson said.

“It showed up very quickly,” Alexander said. “Whenever you have children near the water, you want somebody watching.”

Torrential rain created severe flooding in communities across Maryland Thursday.

A Flash Flood Watch was in effect for most of the Baltimore region, including Howard County, until early Friday morning.

Several cars were trapped and people had to be rescued in Harford County, especially along the Joppatowne area.

According to fire officials in Harford County, on Thursday afternoon two people were rescued from floodwaters at Pulaski Highway near the Baltimore County line. Cars were caught in floodwaters on Joppa Farm Road, where occupants of one car reportedly made it to safety before rescuers arrived.

By Adam Thompson, Tara Lynch