(September 16, 2008)-- Earlier Tuesday evening, a Mexican governor issued a statement saying searchers discovered the wreckage of a plane carrying U.S. and Mexican officials on an aerial inspection of Rio Grande Flooding had been found, but the statement was later retracted.

Chihuahua state Gov. Jose Reyez Baeza had said the Cessna 421 was found early Tuesday near the town of Ojinaga, across the border from Presidio, Texas, but later said the search for the missing plane continued.

The plane, carrying U.S. Water and Boundary Commissioner Carlos Marin; his Mexican counterpart, Arturo Herrera; Jake Brisbin Jr., executive director of the Rio Grande Council of Governments, disappeared Monday during a flight over the Luis Leon Reservoir in northern Mexico to get an aerial view of floodwaters that are threatening levees on both sides of the border.

Meanwhile Tuesday, Presidio officials went door-to-door asking people in flood-threatened areas to evacuate.

The same announcement was made from a helicopter.

Flood control crews on the Rio Grande also evacuated as the river nears the top of a levee protecting Presidio, which is a town of about 5,000.

A spokesman for the International Water and Boundary Commission said the water was within one foot of the top of the levee.

Water releases from the Rio Conches and Luis Leon Reservoir a few miles up river from Presidio in the Mexican state of Chihuahua led to most of the problems.

Recent rain filled the Rio Conchos river system.

Presidio city administrator Cynthia Clark said by late in the day water had started flowing over a levee outside the city, although it did not break.

[CentralTexasVotes.com: Candidates, Campaigns And More ]
[More Local And State News]
[More National News]
[More Business News]
[Latest Religion News]
[Latest Health News]
[Latest Entertainment News]
[OffBeat News]
[News From Our Town]
[Latest Soldier Stories]
[Sports]
[Weather]
[Blogs]





Save some money! Save a tree! Get your morning news delivered directly to your email