Body found of National Guardsman swept away by flood waters

Authorities have discovered the body of a missing Maryland man Tuesday after flash floods devastated Ellicott City over the weekend. Searchers found the body of 39-year-old Eddison Alexander Hermond after he went missing during the flood on Sunday, the Howard County Police Department said in a news release.

Hermond, a National Guard member and U.S. Air Force veteran, was found in the Patapsco River, just across the Baltimore County line.

Witnesses told police that Hermond was helping a woman find her pet when he was swept up in the rushing water.

Lt. Col. Charles Kohler, a spokesman for the Maryland Army National Guard, said Hermond was a sergeant assigned to the training department at the Camp Fretterd Military Reservation in Reisterstown. He said Hermond was not on duty Sunday evening and had not had guard training during the weekend.

He said Hermond spent more than 10 years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, starting in 1996. After a break in military service, he joined the Maryland National Guard in 2009.

Police said there have been no other reports of missing persons since the flood.

Officials said Monday afternoon that nearly 300 people were rescued.   

As the floodwaters receded late Sunday, officials were only beginning the grim task of assessing the destruction.

During a Sunday evening news conference, Kittleman said authorities aren't aware of any fatalities. But first responders and rescue officials were still going through the muddied, damaged downtown, conducting safety checks and ensuring people evacuated.