An Oklahoma high school basketball coach has died and his eight-year-old daughter remains missing following a tragedy on Christmas Eve.

The incident unfolded on Christmas Eve in Sherman, Texas, as Will Robinson, a father of four, was driving with his family when heavy rain caused their vehicle to veer off the road and into a drainage ditch, per CBS News.

The strong currents carried the SUV away, trapping all six family members inside, according to the Sherman Police Department.

Robinson sadly lost his life, and his eight-year-old daughter remains missing. Credit: Will Robinson / Facebook

Robinson did not survive the accident, but four other family members were rescued. The family’s eight-year-old daughter remains missing.

“We are still unsuccessful in our efforts to locate the eight-year-old girl,” Lieutenant Samuel Boyle of the Sherman Police Department told Fox News Digital.

Boyle explained that the search had expanded to a 15-mile stretch of creek downstream from where the vehicle stopped.

Authorities have been conducting an extensive search for the young girl, with Texas Governor Greg Abbott approving state search and rescue teams to join the effort.

“We are shifting our focus into the county, targeting some possible locations where we have not looked to as yet,” the Sherman Police Department said in a statement on Wednesday.

The search, which has covered seven miles of creek so far, is being led by a multi-jurisdictional task force and involves numerous local and state agencies, including Texas Task Force 2.

“Our search will continue until dark today, then we will resume searching again before daylight,” the statement added.

The accident was attributed to a combination of heavy downpours and accumulating groundwater, which caused the vehicle to leave the roadway and get caught in the flooding.

“Somehow that caused the vehicle to leave the roadway and enter a drainage ditch… and the vehicle got caught in the flooding in the drainage ditch,” Boyle explained.

“This is just devastating, and happening on Christmas Eve makes it unbearable,” Robinson’s cousin wrote in a heartfelt Facebook post, per the New York Post.

“Will was one of the good ones – a devoted husband and father, a beloved basketball coach, and just a great person…please keep the entire Robinson family in your thoughts and prayers.”

The Sherman Police Department highlighted the dangers of driving through floodwaters and urged drivers to exercise extreme caution.

“My recommendation is don’t try and drive through significant standing water. You never know how deep it is, and vehicles are not designed to do that,” Boyle said.

“Once you have lost control of your ability to drive your car, then you are simply at the mercy of the water. And it can be very, very dangerous for occupants of the vehicle.”

Anyone with information has been urged to contact the authorities. Credit: Will Robinson / Facebook

Boyle advised drivers to stop and find alternate routes if faced with large areas of standing water. “Call local police. Call local emergency services, and ask for recommendations if you aren’t familiar with the area,” he added.

The tragic loss of Robinson and the ongoing search for his daughter have shaken the local community.

“In crises like these, we are blessed to serve a community that so badly wants to help in any way they can,” Sherman police said. They added that dozens of first responders, including trained canine and watercraft teams, are working tirelessly in the search.