Body of Dripping Springs man washed away in floodwaters found

DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) - The body of a Dripping Springs man washed away in floodwaters has been found.

The Hays County Sheriff’s Office says 55-year-old Michael Hurlbut was crossing a flooded bridge Friday night when he was swept into a creek. 

According to HCSO, Hurlbut was in his car alone, trying to cross a bridge on Bell Springs Road over Barton Creek. The water was so strong it swept Hurlbut’s car off the bridge.

Sheriff Gary Cutler says multiple people saw Hurlbut in his car in the water and that Hurlbut called a family member to let them know what was happening. That phone call was the last time anyone heard from him. His car was washed roughly a mile from the roadway. 

“Search continued this morning and the sheriff’s department was notified about 12:30 today that a body had been recovered today along the creek,” Cutler said.

Hurlbut’s family came to this crossing Saturday afternoon to see if people were still driving across the flooded bridge that claimed his life.

Those who knew Hurlbut knew him by his middle name Brandon. They aren't surprised he called family, describing his family as large and tight knit. 

"He'd take his shirt off his back for anybody, always willing to give a hand in any situation, good family man,” Hurlbut’s childhood friend John Franklin said.

The North Hays fire chief says the department received 34 calls for service within a 12 hour span last night and of those 34 calls, seven were rescues.

Cutler says the county experienced flooding in areas they don't typically see it. The spot where Hurlbut was swept away is a flood zone, but neighbors say it's rarely as bad as it was last night.