First responders postponed the search for an 8-year-old girl Friday who went missing after a Christmas Eve crash.
SHERMAN, Texas — First responders postponed the search for an 8-year-old girl who went missing after a Christmas Eve crash Friday after several inches of snow fell in Sherman Thursday.
Clara Robinson disappeared when her family’s vehicle hydroplaned and flipped into a drainage ditch while traveling from Oklahoma to McKinney, Texas, police told WFAA. While her mother and three siblings survived the crash, her father Will Robinson died in the accident.
“We have postponed search efforts today, due to the winter weather we received. We care immensely about everyone’s safety and want to make sure our search efforts keep safety at the top of our priority list,” Sherman Police said in a statement.
Police continued their search earlier in the week despite frigid conditions. Officials say they have methodically searched the waterway each day since the accident. Despite the challenging conditions, authorities remain determined to bring closure to the family.
“We have plans to start again tomorrow morning and we’re hopeful, as we were yesterday, that tomorrow will be the day that we find her,” Samuel Boyle, a Lieutenant with the Sherman Police Department, said Monday, “I know that our feelings on that topic only scratch the surface of what the family is going through.”
The search for Clara will resume Saturday morning, officials said in a social media post. Going forward, Sherman Police will no longer share daily updates but will continue the search daily, according to the post. If anything noteworthy is found during the search, police will provide updates after notifying the family, police said.
“Your encouragement and engagement these past two and half weeks is appreciated and has served as a motivator for all of us,” police said.
Boyle noted that the Robinson family has strong faith. “She’s with her father, she’s with Jesus,” he said, adding that their goal is to “bring her body to a final resting place so her mom can be at peace.”
With potential snow in the forecast later this week, search teams are preparing for potentially more challenging conditions, though specific plans will depend on the weather.