Family Recalls Loss of Son in Flood

A Carroll County family is opening up about their incredible loss during last week's flood.

Two-year-old Slade Crawford was ripped from his father's arms as flood waters tore apart his family's mobile home.

Bridgett Crawford points to the tree she hung on to with one arm for six and a half hours in raging flood waters-while also holding on to her son.

"I held on to Cooper with this arm and held on to the branch with this arm," said Bridgett Crawford. "I sung to him -- kissed him -- just talked to him. My arms were trembling, shaking they were so worn out."

While Bridgett was fighting for their lives, her husband – Craig -- was 50 yards downstream. He had their 2-year-old son after all of them had to jump from their mobile home that was engulfed by rising water from Snake Creek.

Pointing to where his trailer used to stand, Craig Crawford said "Right here was actually my front door -- right here. And our bedroom was right here."

Now what's left of the home is about 200 yards downstream. They were in it Monday when it started to float away. They had to jump out of it in order to try and survive.

"I had Slade in my arms. [I] told him I loved him -- everything would be alright. When I went out the door last, the current was so bad it ripped us apart and it wasn't alright. They said the creek was flowing at 70 mph," said Craig Crawford.

Craig is tortured by the fact he couldn't hold on to his son and is now grieving the loss of his little boy.

"They found Slade about a mile from here."

They said it's painful to walk through the area -- once engulfed in water -- and where they lost so much. Remembering -- it's a miracle anyone of them survived at all.

"Love what you've got because you don't know what you've got until it's gone," said Craig Crawford.

The family has set up the Slade Crawford Memorial Fund at the First National Bank of Georgia.

The money donated will go towards the family's expenses.

They also said they would like to donate some of the money to the local fire department so they can get better equipment to use in these kinds of situations.