Life provides no shortage of reminders that it is, in fact, short. Nothing reminds you more of it than being a parent. Aside from the usual “the days are long but the years are short” rhetoric, I think most parents are on high alert when it comes to overthinking all the what-ifs. I know every time my husband and I go out for a date night or weekend away, a flash of worry takes over me: What if something happens to both of us and our son is left alone?
Sadly, it is a nightmare-level scenario that one a family in Argentina is living right now. People recently reported that parents who were out on a date night at a wedding were both killed in a flash flood, leaving behind two young children.
Mariano Robles and Solana Albornoz left their friend’s wedding and were on their way home to their children.
The pair got caught in the middle of a flash flood in Túcuman, Argentina, on April 5, 2026, per the New York Post. They were driving a white Nissan Versa near the town of Tafi Viejo when the flooding began escalating after reportedly texting their babysitter at 9 p.m. April 4 that they were going to wait out the rain a while longer before attempting to get home, Ours Abroad reported. Roughly 110 millimeters of rain, more than 4 inches, fell within three hours.
At some point on their journey home, their white Nissan was swept into an irrigation ditch, trapping them inside.
The most heartbreaking detail of all? The vehicle found flipped over near the regional state capital of San Miguel de Tucuman contained their lifeless bodies locked in an embrace, per the Post. Hours earlier, photos were snapped of the couple looking happy and dancing with friends. It was Robles’ brother who reported the couple missing later that Sunday morning. Emergency workers found them just hours later.
The couple leaves behind a 5-year-old and 9-month-old.
Robles reportedly had worked as a civil servant, and Albornoz worked for the state-run savings bank Caja Popular de Ahorros.
Sadly, they were not the only victims of this flash flooding. The State Secretariat of Communication reported “a teenager died from electrocution while walking on public roads amid flooded streets, at the intersection of Democracia and 9 de Julio,” according to Ours Abroad.
Their death is still under investigation.
In the United States, flash floods are responsible for an average of 127 deaths annually. A staggering 145 people died in flash floods in 2024, according to PBS. In July 2025, a flash flood swept through Texas, infamously killing at least 70 people and leaving many others missing. On average, nearly half of all flash floods fatalities happen in vehicles, as cars become difficult to control in moving water higher than 6 inches.
The best thing for anyone to do when caught in a flash flood is to avoid driving at all costs. If possible, get to higher ground and wait out active flooding.
