LITTLE ROCK, AR – The body of a Little Rock boy who drowned in Crystal Beach over the weekend is now home in Arkansas.
10-year-old Micah Batson loved dancing, his family and Toy Story, according to his grandmother, Heide Burgess.
"Micah was so spontaneous. He had the world by its tail. He was ready for anything and everything that challenged him," she said.
Two days after his tenth birthday, he and his family traveled to Crystal Beach on the Texas Coast.
It was not only a celebration of Micah’s birthday but also the end of chemo for his dad, Will, who has battled cancer.
“The little boys were building sandcastles and Will and Micah were out in the water just playing...”
And that’s when Burgess said her family’s nightmare began.
"From what my son tells me, the wave just caught em. It came up and caught 'em," she said.
Micah became separated from his dad in the water, after being so close seconds before.
Crews rescued Will about an hour into a search that continued until they found Micah’s body late Saturday afternoon.
"There are so many broken hearts right now," Burgess said.
While Micah's family is mourning, they are also grateful for the many people who have stepped up.
"Me and my family want to send our thanks to the officials. We want to send our thanks to the public. Everybody that helped no matter how small it was."
Burgess said every prayer and every penny goes a long way right now as they prepare to say goodbye to Micah— an adventurous and caring little boy, taken by the tide just two days after his tenth birthday.
"A nightmare and reality all slapping you in the face at one time," she said.
Micah's funeral service will be held Friday at noon.
There are two GoFundMe accounts set up in order to help the family. Burgess said both accounts were set up by family members, and funds raised from both will go directly to Micah's father to help cover transportation, funeral, and other expenses.
The GoFundMe fundraiser on behalf of Micah’s family in Texas can be found here and the fundraiser based in Arkansas can be found here.