Search for Clara Robinson continues in North Texas as winter storm brings sleet, snow
SHERMAN – The search for Clara Robinson, an 8-year-old Oklahoma girl swept away by North Texas floodwaters on Christmas Eve, has entered its third week.
Thursday marked the 17th day of search efforts led by the Sherman Police Department with aid from other local and state law enforcement agencies. Despite inclement weather and a winter storm warning for the region, authorities said they won't stop looking for the child.
Using the hashtag "#WereStillHereClara," the Sherman Police Department shared on Facebook that their team, alongside Sherman Fire-Rescue, set out early Thursday morning.
The search continues with crews sifting through debris between the initial crash site and FM697, focusing on the south end of the city.
While search teams remain "focused and upbeat," Sherman police said if the weather, currently bringing sleet and snow to North Texas, worsens, they will postpone.
Several other agencies, including the Texas Department of Corrections K9 teams and the Grayson County Sheriff's Office, are assisting with the search.
"We just want to find her," Sherman police wrote in a post on their Facebook page on Wednesday.
"We haven't specifically mentioned it in a few posts, but please continue to keep the Robinson family in your thoughts and prayers as they navigate life in this new year," the post said.
What happened to Clara Robinson?
Clara Robinson was riding in a vehicle with five other family members around 9:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve when their SUV left the roadway, got stuck in a drainage ditch near U.S. 75 and Taylor Street, and was carried away by strong currents.
Will Robinson, Clara's father and a respected high school coach from Durant, Oklahoma, died a hero while trying to save his daughter.
Authorities rescued four other family members, including a 5-year-old girl who narrowly escaped being swept away and had to be resuscitated.
The search efforts in North Texas
Authorities have been inspecting piles of debris between FM 697 and the site where Clara Robinson was carried away, with crews scheduled to continue their efforts throughout the week.
Sherman police said on Monday that there are still more debris piles that require heavy equipment for inspection.
"Today, we are working on plans to get equipment to those piles," the department said in a Facebook post. "Our teams are also focusing on portions of the creek where the bank has collapsed and created silt deposits."
Authorities have assured the community that they are examining "every possibility" in their search and remain committed to finding Clara Robinson.
On Friday, police released an image depicting part of their work, acknowledging that while it "does not depict everything we have done," they wanted to share a glimpse of the efforts made during the previous 12 days of searching.
According to Sherman police, the stretch of Post Oak Creek between the crash site and the FM 697 bridge has been "extensively searched" multiple times using all available resources. "We are still searching all areas of the creek with every asset at our disposal," the department said.
Search teams are being supported by a variety of resources, including drones, mounted teams, watercraft, canines, dive teams and sonar equipment.
Is there a GoFundMe?
While several campaigns have been circulating, the Sherman Police Department advises supporters to verify their authenticity before donating. So far, the only verified fundraiser is a bank account established at First United Bank.