Body of missing man swept away by Ellicott City flood recovered Tuesday

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. - A body recovered by searches Tuesday has now been identified as missing Maryland man Eddison "Eddie" Hermond, who disappeared during flash floods in Ellicott City, Maryland Sunday night, Howard County Police say.

His body was found by rescue crews in the Patapsco River, just across the Baltimore County line.

The 39-year-old man from Severn was with his friend of nearly two decades Joseph Lopez at La Palapa Grille on Main Street in Ellicott City when he was reportedly swept away by flash floods.

In minutes, the flood water turned the parking lot into a river and Hermond disappeared into the water.

No one has seen Hermond since.

Lopez says Hermond, who had a 13-year-old son, was a sergeant with National Guard and an Air Force veteran.

He says Hermond went outside into the restaurant's parking lot to help a woman escape the flood waters with her cat.

"He slipped and the current kind of took him into kind of a man-made river. Took him into the river and that's the last anyone ever saw of him," Lopez said.

Howard County officials said they were using all available technology to search for Hermond, including drones and cadaver dogs.

Lopez said Hermond's willingness to help someone else without regard for himself did not surprise anyone who knows him.

"He'd do that for anyone. He's done so much for me in my life and that's just him. He served in two branches. He was an Air Force guy, he was an Army guy. Just really an amazing guy," Lopez said.