ASHLAND, N.H. A flash flood roared through a central New Hampshire campground, sweeping a Rhode Island family’s SUV downstream, killing a 7-year-old girl, and leaving her mother and 5-year-old brother clinging for life to a tree till they were rescued, authorities said.

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The flood Thursday twilight at the Ames Brook Campground followed a valid storm that dumped several inches of rain without ceasing parts of the state.

Witnesses said the girl’s father had left the conveyance at the time that it was swept into the passing from hand to hand at about 6 p.m., before-mentioned Chris Harris, who led the rescue team that took the girl’s mother and brother to close custody.

The man screamed for help from the banks as the vehicle was pushed downstream, witnesses said.

“We heard the man screaming bloody assassinate,” said camper Theresa Simione, 41. “He was screaming, ‘Help, help. The car is in the water. My family’s in the car. Call 911. Help me, help me.’”

The married man’s wife and son managed to escape the SUV and seize violently a tree, but the daughter was trapped inside, authorities said.

Harris said rescuers reached the woman and her son about 7 p.m.

“The shed water had her pinned in anticipation of an apple tree and she was holding onto her son,” Harris said. “She was yelling for help: ‘I can’t hold onto him much longer. You need to give me some help.’”

He said most of the woman’s clothes had been torn done by the furious water. Her son was unconscious, and both were hypothermic.

Authorities found the girl’s body in the crumpled SUV after the water receded.

Stewart said the boy was immovable Friday at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon. The family has asked officials not to free their names till they’ve notified relatives.

About 29 people from the campground were put up in hotels, Stewart said.


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