Since last week, a slew of midwestern states have been pummeled by heavy rains, flooding and tornadoes. The brutal storm turned a typical trip to bus stop for a Kentucky student into a horrifying tragedy.
Racheal Andrews of Franklin County, Kentucky tells ABC News everything was fine for her and her 9-year-old son, Gabriel, before tragedy struck on April 4. She says her son enjoyed basketball and football. He was a bright light of a child, “loving everyone he came in contact with” and wearing “the most beautiful smile.”
Last week, state residents were impacted by torrential rains that resulted in a swiftly rising flood, leaving houses under water, according to local weather reports. Despite the egregious weather conditions, Andrews told ABC the Franklin County School District still called for students to attend school in-person.
“There never should have been school that day,” Andrews said via ABC.
Police say the child walked to the school bus around the Hickory Hills neighborhood early that morning when the incident occurred. Authorities say the boy was caught in the floodwaters while headed to his stop and swept away. An “extensive search and rescue operation” was launched upon the report, per FOX56. Police say they found his body a half mile away from the bus stop about two hours after the call came in.
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office confirmed the identity to be that of little Gabriel. The boy was laid to rest April 8, per FOX’s report. His death didn’t only grieve his family and siblings he left behind but also broke the hearts of community members who would miss that darling smile.
“I’m overwhelmed with the love that the community had for my son,” Andrews said to ABC.
Gabriel is the latest to be added to the death toll, which is now seven, for the state of Kentucky as a result of the raging storm, per WTVQ. Now, Franklin County School District students are spending their spring break waiting for the waters to go down.
“We are deeply saddened at this horrific tragedy. We are more than a school system, we are a family at Franklin County Schools, and we share this loss together. At this time, we are working with support staff at our schools and offering services to our students, faculty, and staff who need assistance,” said superintendent Mark Kopp in a statement.