A Cleveland-area family is mourning the loss of two children, ages 12 and 16, who drowned on Saturday in the San Jacinto River in Crosby.
According to Cleveland ISD Superintendent Stephen McCanless, the 12-year-old girl was a student at Santa Fe Middle School in the Colony Ridge communities south of Plum Grove. The bodies of the girl and her 6-year-old brother, who attended BG Ramirez Charter School, were recovered Sunday by Harris County Sheriff’s Office personnel.
The drowning was reported to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office around 9 p.m. Saturday. Deputies responded to the 1900 block of Pump Road near Xtreme Off Road Park and Beach. The sheriff’s office used a robot with sonar capabilities and a K-9 officer to search the area. The bodies of the siblings were recovered around midnight.
While the names of the children have not been released, McCanless said the school district has spoken to the children’s parents to offer support.
“Our hearts go out to the family for this tragic loss. District personnel will be reaching out to the family again today to see how we can assist them,” McCanless said. “Cleveland ISD is here to support all of our community in this time of need.”
The two children sadly were not the only drowning victims in the San Jacinto River near Crosby this weekend. On Sunday, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the drowning of a 50-year-old male.
“The male was said to be at Magnolia Garden, swam to a small island, then was reportedly seen swimming to the other side of the river. It’s unknown if he made it across or went under,” according to a statement from HCSO. A statement released by HCSO a few hours later said that the man’s body was recovered.
Every year, people underestimate the ferocity of Texas rivers, not just the San Jacinto River but the Trinity River as well. McCanless knows better than most about the devastating loss a family feels after a drowning. His brother died at the age of 25 in 1992 while swimming in the San Jacinto River in the same vicinity as this weekend’s drownings.
“If you look at the San Jacinto River drownings, you will see that area is particularly dangerous. People underestimate the dangers of the river,” he said.