12-Year-Old Boy Swept Away by Heavy Flooding in Virginia; Body Recovered

A nearly 24-hour search ended on Wednesday morning as search crews recovered the body of a young boy believed to be 12-year-old Jordan Sims.

NTD Newsroom

Published: 5/14/2025, 11:48:05 PM EDT

12-Year-Old Boy Swept Away by Heavy Flooding in Virginia; Body Recovered — The cars in floodwaters in Westernport, Md., on May 13, 2025. (Alley and Tim Wade via AP)

A nearly 24-hour search ended on a somber note Wednesday morning as search crews recovered the body of a young boy believed to be 12-year-old Jordan Sims, who had gone missing during Tuesday’s flooding in Virginia.

The tragic incident began Tuesday evening around 5:30 p.m., when emergency responders from Albemarle County, near Charlottesville, were dispatched to Newtown Road and Valley Green Drive after a 911 caller reported that floodwaters had swept away a 12-year-old boy.

The child had reportedly been walking outside when a flash flood from a nearby creek overtook the roadway and carried him off during the storm that battered the mid-Atlantic region.

Career and volunteer personnel from Albemarle County Fire Rescue, alongside Albemarle County Police Department officers, were dispatched for a swift water rescue operation but were unable to find the boy.

After a search for more than three hours, the Fire Rescue announced it was pausing the effort due to limited visibility after dark and for the safety of all those involved, saying that the search would be resumed early Wednesday morning.

In a Wednesday morning update, Albemarle County Fire Rescue said search teams had found the body of a young male around 8:45 a.m. in the area of Newtown Road, close to where Sims was last seen.

Officials believe the body is that of Jordan Sims, but the Medical Examiner’s Office in Richmond will conduct a final identification.

“This is a heartbreaking outcome, and our hearts are with the Sims' family and loved ones,” Albemarle County Fire Rescue Chief Dan Eggleston said in a statement on Facebook. “We are incredibly grateful to our local and regional partners who supported this search effort with urgency, professionalism, and care.”

The search was aided by multiple agencies, including the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Lynchburg Fire Department, and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

A heavy storm has been pounding multiple eastern states in recent days, with over a foot of rainfall reported in some southeastern areas. As the storm moved into the Mid-Atlantic region, flooding was reported in multiple states.

Multiple schools in Allegany County were evacuated on Tuesday after the Maryland Department of Emergency Management issued a flood alert on Monday.

No injuries or missing persons have been reported from the flooding event, according to the Allegany County Department of Emergency Services.

“Residents are urged to remain home unless absolutely necessary,” the agency said in a Wednesday update. “Avoid travel in affected areas to allow emergency and repair crews to continue their work safely and efficiently.”

Rainy conditions are expected to continue into Saturday, with potential thunderstorms in the Mid-Atlantic and Appalachian regions, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

Flood watches remain in effect until 10 p.m. Wednesday in multiple parts of Maryland, central Pennsylvania, central Virginia, and all across West Virginia, indicating a high probability of flooding.

Flood warnings are only issued when flooding is severe enough to pose a real threat to property and people.