Authorities have located the body of Sgt. Eddison A. Hermond after the Air Force veteran went missing during the historic flood that ravaged Ellicott City, Md., over Memorial Day Weekend.
According to the Baltimore Sun, Howard County Police discovered his body in the nearby Patapsco River on Tuesday.
Hermond was reported missing early Monday morning but had not been seen since the previous night, when he was attempting to help an Ellicott City resident navigate the raging waters.
He was the only person reported missing during the flood.
After serving more than a decade on active duty in the Air Force, Hermond joined the Maryland National Guard in 2009 and was assigned to Camp Fretterd in nearby Reisterstown.
Vice President Mike Pence tweeted Thursday that he was “saddened to learn of” Hermond’s death.
Saddened to learn of the loss of Maryland’s Eddison Hermond—the brave National Guardsman & Air Force veteran who lost his life rendering assistance to a neighbor. Eddison lived a life of service to his nation. Our condolences & prayers to his family. God bless Eddison Hermond.
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) May 29, 2018
He added he had spoken with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan about the flooding and vowed to “continue to provide support for families and businesses throughout the affected area.”
Just spoke with @GovLarryHogan about the terrible flooding in Ellicott City and the loss of Eddison Hermond. @FEMA is on site & at @POTUS’ direction, we will continue to provide support for families and businesses throughout the affected area. We are with you.
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) May 29, 2018
Prior to the weekend’s catastrophe, Ellicott City had been struggling to recover from a similar flood in 2016.
“They say this is a once every 1,000-year flood,” Hogan said of the disaster. “We’ve had two of them in two years.”
