Local
Former Cobb County deputy Julie Barrs identified as flood victim in Murray County
Julie Barrs, a former Cobb County sheriff's deputy, was killed after her car was swept away by floodwaters near Old CCC Camp Road in Murray County. Neighbors describe a desperate rescue attempt as the stream raged 'like Niagara Falls.'
MURRAY COUNTY, Ga. â A former Cobb County sheriff's deputy is among the dead in the flooding that has devastated parts of North Georgia, after her vehicle was swept off a roadway in Murray County late Wednesday.
The Murray County coroner identified the victim as Julie Barrs. According to her neighbor, Dottie Billingsley, Barrs was attempting to drive through rushing water near Old CCC Camp Road, south of McCaysville, when her car was overtaken.
Billingsley described a harrowing scene as Barrs called out for help.
"Julie was screaming, 'Help me, please help me,' and the stream was so, I mean it was like Niagara Falls," Billingsley said.
Another neighbor attempted to reach Barrs with a rope as she clung to her seat belt, Billingsley said. The bridge over the water was locked, forcing Barrs to drive through the stream, according to her neighbor.
The following morning, Billingsley saw Barrs' car still in the water.
"There was a tree laying across the hood up against the windshield and a lot of debris all around," she said.
Barrs' body was found about 2 1/2 miles downstream, Billingsley said.
"I can't fathom it, it's very very hard," she said.
Rachel Gondek, a former colleague of Barrs' on the Cobb County SWAT team, remembered her as a dedicated public servant and a generous friend.
"Julie was one of a kind," Gondek said. "A great friend and mentor to many in law enforcement and beyond. She imparted so many valuable lessons that I'll never forget ... Julie never gave up, in anything."
Gondek also described Barrs as the kind of person who would give others the shirt off her back.
The death comes as communities across the region, including McCaysville, contend with severe flooding. Residents there gathered Sunday to pray for the flood-stricken area, according to local reports.
The flooding has raised broader concerns about road safety during extreme weather, particularly where locked gates and limited crossings can leave drivers with few options when waters rise. Barrs' death underscores the dangers faced by residents and first responders navigating washed-out roads and fast-moving streams.
Barrs is remembered by those who knew her as a mentor and a steadfast presence in law enforcement â a loss that is being felt well beyond Murray County.