Child pulled from home in Houghton flooding dies

UPDATE: Wednesday, June 20th, 12:03 P.M. — We have received a statement from Houghton Middle School regarding the death of a 12-year-old boy:

Dear Parents,

It is with heavy hearts, that we mourn the loss of HMS student, Thatcher Markham, who passed away following injuries sustained during the Houghton County flooding. Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.  The Markham family has many ties to the Houghton Schools and Community. For students and families that need support, there are 24 hour counseling services available through Dial Help (see below). If students, families and community members would like to drop off cards and notes for the Markham family, they can be dropped off at the Elementary and Middle School offices. Please keep the Markham family in your thoughts during this difficult time.

HOUGHTON — The 12-year-old boy from Houghton County who was trapped Sunday morning when a mudslide struck his home has died.

Thatcher Markham of Houghton was sleeping in a basement bedroom around 5:00am when the storm hit and produced sudden flash flooding.

Thatcher’s father, Rodney Markham, was able to dig his son out and perform CPR on him.

Deputies from the Houghton County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the house on Canal Road along with Stanton Township first responders and the father were able to transport him to the boat launch with a neighbor’s boat due to severe flooding and road wash outs.

The child was then transported by Mercy EMS to UP Health System-Portage where they were able to get a pulse. The child was then air lifted to a children’s hospital for treatment.

He reportedly passed away Monday night.

Markham was the only serious injury reported from the weekend storm, which has caused millions of dollars worth of property damage in Houghton County.