Soldier swept away at Fort Hood crossing declared dead

Spc. Darius Cooper, 40 of San Antonio, whose car was swept away on April 11 at a low-water crossing at Fort Hood, has been declared by a board of inquiry.

Cooper’s red Ford Focus was swept into Clear Creek near Turkey Run Road just before 6 a.m. on April 11.

The car was found that evening, but Cooper has not been located.

“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, III Corps and Fort Hood deputy commanding general.

"Our thoughts, prayers and sincere condolences go to the Cooper family, loved ones, and fellow soldiers impacted by this tragedy.

The board of inquiry was appointed after the unsuccessful weeks-long effort by Fort Hood Fire and Rescue teams to find Cooper, Fort Hood said in a press release Thursday.

More than 800 people were involved in the search, which included Texas Task Force One boat and dog teams, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, Texas Game Warden's lake search teams, the Morgan's Point Resort Police Department dive and sonar search teams,

Cooper, who joined the Army in 2008, had been assigned since June 2016 to Fort Hood’s 2nd Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment.

He deployed to Iraq from September 2009 to July 2010 and to Afghanistan from March 2013 to November 2013.