Helicopters, drones used as search expands for girl, 8, who vanished after crash

Texas authorities are expanding the search for an 8-year-old girl who vanished after a crash Christmas Eve morning, now considering other “targeted areas of interest.”

Officials in Sherman, Texas said an SUV carrying six people from Durant, Oklahoma was swept away by floodwater on Highway 75 and crashed into a drainage ditch at about 9:30 a.m. 

Four days later, Sherman Chief of Police Jason Jeffcoat said an 8-year-old girl, Clara Robinson, remains missing.

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“Search teams are continuing efforts to search Post Oak Creek, near the site where the initial rescue efforts took place,” Jeffcoat said. “There are also teams searching a 10-mile stretch of Post Oak Creek and Choctaw Creek.”

On Friday, the police department used K9 teams, dive teams, drone teams and helicopters to continue to search for Robinson. 

The teams include personnel from Sherman Fire Department, Sherman Police Department, Sherman Fire Rescue, Grayson County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Texas Task Force Two, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Grayson County Office of Emergency Management, Public Works, and Brady Baskin, a local rescue diver. 

Texas Task Force Two split their team for the search, focusing on both the creeks and other “targeted areas of interest,” which were not specified.

Sherman officials said they will continue to search for Clara until she is found.

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Will Robinson, father of four – including Clara, died during the crash while attempting to rescue a 5-year-old girl who was unresponsive when rescuers arrived. 

The girl was later reunited with her family in what fire officials called “a great blessing in this tragedy.”

“The father [had] the little girl in his arms at one time during the event, and later they weren’t together, so it looked like he was trying to save her – definitely,” said Bart Bowman of Sherman Fire Rescue. 

“One of our guys was able to find the little girl underwater, pulled her out, and handed her off to one of our paramedics who was with him,” Bowman said. “That paramedic took her to the ambulance, and they performed CPR on the way to the hospital. … With a near drowning like that, it’s absolutely remarkable that she was released the next day with no issues. That’s a great blessing in this tragedy.”

Community members told Fox 4 Will Robinson was a girls’ basketball coach at Durant High School in Oklahoma.

“He would always bring C.J. [his daughter, Clara] to practice, and she would always play with us,” said Kinlee Hill.

The players noted Robinson was an understanding coach and said he went out of his way to keep them in a positive mindset.

“He was so patient with us girls,” said player Emeri Morse. “I honestly don’t think I can recall a time he ever raised his voice at us in anger. … [He and C.J] were absolutely two peas in a pod. They were at practice, always together, and C.J. would just run up to him or ask for snacks.”

Fox Texas Digital, and Fox 4’s Dan Godwin and David Sentendrey contributed to this story.