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A 4-year-old boy was swept away by floodwaters while playing in Indiana

Posted at 4:00 AM, May 25, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-25 04:34:51-04
By Amir Vera, CNN

(CNN) — Indiana authorities are desperately searching for a 4-year-old boy who was swept away in a flooded creek after heavy rains hit the region.Catastrophic storms tore through the central US this week, unleashing flooding and tornadoes, and devastating parts of the region.

Owen Jones was playing with his friends near Deer Creek in Delphi on Thursday when the incident happened.

A group of kids — between ages 12 and 16 — who were with Owen called 911 and tried to follow him, but lost sight of him. Heavy rains added to the already strong current that carried Owen downstream, said Lt. Dan Dulin of the Indiana Department of Natural Resource.

Recent rains have made the current so strong, that divers aren’t able to search for boy, Dulin said. As a result, rescuers are using boats with sonar and drones in their search. The search will resume Saturday at daylight, Dulin said.

The storms in the Midwest and Great Plains have left eight dead this week. One person has died in Iowa, five in Missouri and two in Oklahoma.

Delphi is about 75 miles from Indianapolis.