With the recovery of four bodies on Friday, the death toll rose to nine in the overturning of an Army truck in floodwaters at Fort Hood, Texas, the Army said.
Twelve soldiers were on a training mission when their vehicle became stuck in the flooded creek in a remote section of the post.
Soldiers in a following vehicle rescued three of their comrades after the truck overturned, Maj. Gen. John Uberti told reporters.
“In this incident, we’ve lost nine soldiers,” a grim-faced Uberti said.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, speaking at a press conference in Singapore, said the incident will be investigated. “As always, we’ll get to the bottom of this incident and others that occurred this week.”
Christopher Haug, spokesman for the post, said the troops were learning to operate the Light Medium Tactical Vehicle and were not sent out in conditions too dangerous for training.
“It was a situation where the rain had come and the water was rising quickly,” he said. “They regularly pass through these weather conditions like this. This was a tactical vehicle, and at the time they were in proper place. Just an unfortunate accident that occurred quickly.”
The Army — with help from civilian agencies — used ground, air and dog teams in the search for the missing soldiers, who were swept away by the rising waters of Owl Creek.
Owl Creek regularly experiences flash floods, said Michael Harmon, emergency management coordinator for Bell County.
Haug declined to go into detail about the training mission except to describe it as “routine.”
Retired Col. Robert Morgan, however, told CNN affiliate KXXV-TV that the Light Medium Tactical Vehicle may not operate well in high waters. The truck, which is used to transport troops and cargo, sits from 6 to 8 feet off the ground.
Severe storms have pummeled Texas, leading to a record rainfall total in May.
Gov. Greg Abbott has declared a state of disaster across 31 counties as more rain is expected.
CNN meteorologist Chad Myers warned that saturated ground and swollen creeks, bayous and rivers cannot absorb the downpour.
Abbott warned residents that evacuation orders may come soon because the Brazos River could easily continue to rise since it was full water up to north Texas.
He said he was stunned at the amount of flooding, noting the people were using air boats on highways when flying over the area.
“I saw neighborhoods that were literally islands, completely surround by water,” he said, noting that other Texans were ferrying food and water to the people trapped in houses.
He promised if residents left their homes that the Texas National Guard and police would protect their property.
He warned drivers not to think they could ford flooded areas; he noted some people were driving around barricades and entering dangerous zones.
“I’ve heard stories about too many people who think they can drive through water only to be swept away,” he said. “The most important thing you have is your life.”
