5-year-old swept away by floodwaters is a San Miguel kindergartner, school district says

Update, 5:30 p.m.:

The 5-year-old boy who went missing on Monday was a kindergartner at Lillian Larsen Elementary School, according to San Miguel Joint Union School District Superintendent Karen Grandoli.

His mother is a teacher with the district, Grandoli confirmed Monday evening.

“Our staff is heartbroken over this tragedy,” she wrote in an email to The Tribune. “I guess we’re still hoping for a miracle but it doesn’t look good.”

Update, 3:30 p.m.:

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office dive team discontinued its search for a missing boy who was swept away by floodwaters in the San Marcos Creekbed in San Miguel.

SLO County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tony Cipolla said the extreme weather conditions became too unsafe for first responders.

The dive team searched for the 5-year-old boy for multiple hours, Cipolla said.

“They will evaluate the weather conditions to see when they can resume the search,” Cipolla said in a text message.

Cambria Community Services District Fire Chief Justin Vincent told the Tribune that a child’s shoe was recovered.

Original story:

Child swept away in floodwaters from SLO County storm

A 5-year-old boy was missing Monday after he was swept away in floodwaters near Paso Robles, Cal Fire told The Tribune.

Around 7:50 a.m., Cal Fire responded to a call to help a vehicle stuck in the San Marcos Creek creekbed outside of San Miguel with a woman and a child inside, Cal Fire San Luis Obispo County Battalion Chief Travis Craig told the Tribune.

The woman was pulled to shore by local residents, but the child was last seen in the water moving away from the vehicle.

Cal Fire, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, San Luis Obispo County Search and Rescue and the California Highway Patrol searched for four hours for the child.

A CHP helicopter flew overhead beginning around 10:30 a.m. Monday, but crews were unable to find the missing child, Cal Fire spokesperson Toni Davis said.

Up to 17 firefighters were assisting with the search and rescue efforts on the ground, Davis said.

Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tony Cipolla said the Sheriff’s Office dive team was assisting with the search for the boy.

Anyone with information about the incident or the child’s whereabouts is asked to contact the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office at 805-781-4540.

Davis reminded San Luis Obispo County residents to not cross water deeper than two inches and to go to higher ground due to storm conditions.

This story was originally published January 9, 2023 at 11:38 AM.

Chloe Jones

The Tribune

Chloe Jones is a former journalist for The Tribune