Soldier Swept Away By Flood Waters Pronounced Dead

A Fort Hood soldier who became the subject of a massive search after being swept away by flood waters earlier this year has been declared dead.

Shortly after 6 AM on April 11th, 40-year-old Spc. Darius Cooper was swept away in his car at a low water crossing on Fort Hood in the vicinity of Turkey Run Road.

Cooper's red Ford Focus was found later that evening, but the same couldn't be said for Cooper. According to a Fort Hood media release, there have been over 800 people involved in the search for Cooper, whose remains have yet to be found.

The teams involved in the search of Cooper include Texas Task Force One boat and dog teams, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Texas Game Warden's lake search teams, and the Morgan's Point Resort Police Department dive and sonar search teams.

Sadly, a Morgan's Point volunteer diver, Lori Pohanka-Kalama, passed away on Sunday, April 16 after being pulled into an underwater hole while assisting in the search for Cooper.

After a little over two months of searching, a board of inquiry has officially declared Spc. Darius Cooper dead.

In a media release, Fort Hood officials said Cooper's official date of death has been determined to be April 11.

“Despite the diligent effort to find Specialist Cooper, it is heartbreaking for our Soldiers and the Fort Hood Family that we were not able to locate him," said Maj. Gen. John Uberti. "Our thoughts, prayers and sincere condolences go to the Cooper family, loved ones, and fellow soldiers impacted by this tragedy.

Spc. Darius Cooper was from San Antonio, and enlisted in the Army in 2008. He was assigned in June 2016 to Fort Hood’s 2nd Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment. He was deployed twice - to Iraq and Afghanistan respectively.