Flood warnings might not seem as imminent of a threat as other natural disasters, such as tornadoes or hurricanes. However, a recent tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of flash flooding. A 17-year-old boy died after the truck he was in was swept away in a flash flood.
The teen, since identified as Miguel Quezada, was sleeping in a truck when the flash flood occurred. Now, his Manchester, Ohio, peers and community are grappling with the devastating loss. Let’s take a closer look at this heartbreaking incident.
Miguel Quezada died on May 4, 2024, in a flash flood.
On Saturday, May 4, the teen died after a flash flood swept his vehicle into a creek. Miguel was a student at Manchester High School.
Miguel had fallen asleep in the truck while his friends were fishing roughly a quarter of a mile from the Island Creek Bridge on US 52, according to Manchester Fire Chief Rick Bowman, reported Fox19 Now.
His friends returned to the truck some time after the flooding started.
“He was in the truck sleeping and they went, I guess they got in the truck with him or tried to get him out,” Chief Bowman detailed. “They got out. Three of them got out and he didn’t get out.”
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Firefighters recovered his body.
Chief Bowman explained that the truck was ultimately found at the Creek Bridge. When crews first responded, Manchester firefighter Ian Long was present, Bowman noted. They pulled Miguel’s body from the truck after the water receded, the fire chief said.
The superintendent of Manchester Local Schools released a statement about Miguel's death.
On Sunday, May 5, Manchester Local Schools Superintendent Nick Roberts released a statement via the school district’s Facebook account.
“It is with a heavy heart as our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of one of our High School students who passed away, unexpectedly, last evening,” Roberts noted. “We will respect the privacy of the family during this difficult time.”
The statement continued, “Student counseling services will be available at school tomorrow, Monday, May 6th, as needed, for students. Again, our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.”
Community members reacted to the tragic news on Facebook.
In the comments of the school district’s announcement, community members reacted to the teen’s death.
One Facebook user wrote, “Prayers for his family and friends .”
Another person commented: “Prayer for all! Poor kids. Prayer for the family, friends and community! Thank you MLSD for having these services available for kids!”
Meanwhile, someone else wrote: “So heartbreaking. Prayers for the families, friends, students and our community.”
