Missing California Boy's Mother Struggling With 'Survivor's Guilt' After Flooding Swept Child Away

The California mother of the missing 5-year-old boy, who was swept away by turbulent flood waters, has battled "survivor's guilt" as officials continue the search and rescue operation.

Kyle Doan was last seen on Monday by his mother, Lindsy Doan, in San Miguel, a small town located roughly between San Francisco and Los Angeles. At the time, Lindsy was driving her son to elementary school when their car hit a dip in the road and began to slide into the banks of the San Marcos Creek.

After stormwater flooded the vehicle, Lindsy struggled to cling to her son's hand while holding on to a tree. The raging water eventually swept the boy away.

"The water was really rough, so the water was splashing into my face, and the current was dragging me down," Lindsy told a local outlet.

"Kyle was drifting down the river, and I could see his head bobbing on the top of the river."

The boy's father, Brian Doan, was driving the couple's 16-year-old daughter to high school at the time. He revealed his wife was struggling to process the incident.

"I'm fortunate she's still here," Brian said. "But there's always going to be that issue of survivor's guilt."

Although the rain has been flooding California for the past two weeks, the family didn't believe there was a reason to alter their daily routes.

"She was in the mode where you take the road that you normally take because there was no reason to take a detour," Brian explained. "You figure everything is working the way it's supposed to."

Brian described Kyle as "a very outgoing and loving kid." Adding, "He didn't have a problem making friends."

On Wednesday, the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office's issued a press release revealing the search would continue on Thursday if conditions permit.

Kyle was last seen wearing a black puffer jacket with a red liner, blue jeans, and blue and gray Nike tennis shoes.