A desperate search is underway for a sweet toddler who was swept away in California floodwaters after the treacherous currents separated him from his father.
Xavier Padilla Aguilera, 2, was with his father, 26-year-old Brandon Padilla Aguilera, when the perilous waters carried the family’s white car away around 7:14 pm in Barstow.
Brandon was later rescued after he became stranded on a small island and was taken to the hospital, VVNG reported. The father has since been discharged, police confirmed.
The distraught father told ABC News that his young son has autism and is nonverbal.
The little boy was last seen wearing black pants, a black shirt, and black and white Nike shoes.
Xavier’s aunt, Leeanna Kay, wrote on Facebook that the search for her nephew continued as of Friday morning and described him as ‘the sweetest baby.’
‘My nephew is 2! His name is Xavier, he is very small and he is missing from the car in the river. He has brown hair and eyes, with a lighter skin tone. Please help us find him,’ she added.
Kay told ABC News: ‘We have a lot of volunteers out here who are still searching. If you can, if you reside in the area, if you have any bright lights… anything that can help us look through the dirt, the mud—anything to help us find him, we would greatly appreciate it.’
Xavier Padilla Aguilera, 2, was with his father, 26-year-old Brandon Padilla Aguilera, when the dangerous waters swept the family’s white sedan away
Brandon was later rescued after he became stranded on a small island and taken to hospital
The official search for the toddler, who celebrated his second birthday on Monday, was suspended until daylight on Friday, KABC-TV reported.
The father and son became separated by the strong current during powerful thunderstorms that struck Southern California.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch on Thursday as the storms surged, with warnings of excessive rainfall and flooding.
Emergency crews, including the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Police, California Highway Patrol, City of Barstow Public Works, MCLB Fire, Desert Ambulance, and San Bernardino County Fire’s Swift Water Rescue Team.
Dramatic video footage emerged of the floods causing chaos, including a mudslide in Oak Glen, the outlet reported.
Denise Romo told the outlet: ‘It kind of sounded like an earthquake was coming.
‘When I opened my kitchen window I just see the first wave of mud, and it already had trees, mailboxes, a bunch of debris.’
Parts of Cedar Falls Road at Camp Cedar Falls was covered by a mudslide on Thursday afternoon, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The mudslide caught multiple drivers who had to wait hours for a rescue, according to the California Department of Transportation.
The father and son became separated by the strong current during powerful thunderstorms that struck Southern California
San Bernardino County recorded nearly three inches of rain and Running Springs saw just over four inches.
The rainfall is associated with Tropical Storm Mario that hit the Eastern Pacific earlier this week.
A flood warning remained in place until 5pm on Friday for central California, according to the Weather Service.
