Texas Police Officer among Missing after Severe Holiday Flash Flooding
By Trevor Hawes
Source Midland Reporter-Telegram, Texas
What to know
- Odessa Police Officer Bailey Martin is missing after flash flooding struck Kerrville during a July 4th trip to the Guadalupe River with his family.
- The floodwaters rose 26 feet in 45 minutes, causing widespread destruction and at least 27 confirmed deaths, including nine children.
- Martin was born and raised in Odessa and joined the department in 2022.
The Odessa Police Department has announced that one of its officers is among the missing in the Kerr County floods.
Officer Bailey Martin and some of his family members were on a trip to the Guadalupe River near Kerrville for the Fourth of July Holiday, OPD said on its Facebook page Saturday afternoon.
"Please keep all of those who have lost loved ones and who are those still searching for loved ones in your thoughts and prayers," OPD said.
Flash flooding occurred in Kerrville on Friday, July 4.
The destructive fast-moving waters rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes before daybreak Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. As of early Saturday afternoon, 27 people were reported as being killed, including nine children, according to the Associated Press. (Editor's note: The flooding's death toll has risen to at least 82 people, according to CNN.)
In a Facebook post from August 2022, OPD announced Martin as a recruit in its 25th Session Academy, saying that he was born and raised in Odessa and at a young age decided he wanted to work in law enforcement.
"I wanted to join because the world we live in is always changing and I wanted to do everything I can to be part of my community as it grows, allowing me to preserve peace and safety," Martin was quoted as saying in the post.
OPD said he had hopes of someday becoming a detective with the department.
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