Body believed to be Whatcom County man swept away by floodwaters recovered
WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. - The body believed to be that of a Whatcom County man swept away by floodwaters has been recovered.
The family of 49-year-old Jose Garcia said that he was last seen driving to work between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. Monday. He got stuck in a blueberry field and water overtook his car.
Everson police said he was swept by the current on Main Street and his last location was that he was hanging onto a tree about 300 feet from his car.
He was on the phone with his family for an hour while hanging onto the tree before the call dropped.
"We don't even know what to do anymore…He was hanging on for dear life," Jose's daughter Dulce told FOX 13. "He was literally begging my brother to come help him."
When police first got the 911 call on Monday, they weren't able to immediately respond because of the depth and speed of the current. They rushed to the scene about two and a half hours after the initial call, but they were unable to locate him.
Whatcom County Sheriff's deputies discovered the body on Wednesday afternoon in a wooded area in the 600 block of Main Street in Everson. It is believed to be that of Garcia, but the Medical Examiner's office will confirm the victim's identity.
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