An Army National Guardsman is missing in Maryland after offering to help a woman retrieve her lost pet.

The Washington Post reports Eddison “Eddie” Hermond was having lunch with friends at a Mexican restaurant in Ellicott City, Maryland, on Sunday when a woman entered the restaurant asking for help. Hermond immediately volunteered.

“He’s that kind of guy,” said his close friend, Kenneth Josepha. “If we called him right now saying we needed help looking for someone, Eddie would be there in five minutes.”

During the search, Hermond was swept away by flood waters that engulfed the city after eight inches of rainfall Sunday afternoon. He was reported missing at 12:30 am and remains missing. Hermond is described as a black male standing 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and black shorts. Anyone with information is urged to call Howard County Police. 

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency for the entire state of Maryland, following the weekend's extreme weather Monday morning, CBS News reports.

“The immediate focus is ensuring everyone is safe and secure,” Hogan said in a statement. “The state will continue to provide all available resources to assist Howard County with their response to this extremely dangerous and ongoing situation. I strongly urge all Marylanders to monitor the weather, heed all warnings, and avoid the affected areas.”

Ellicott City was hit with devastating floods in 2016, but Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman believes this storm is far worse.

“If you look at the devastation and the damage, I would certainly say it’s worse than 2016,” he told CBS. “We’ve had areas that were not even damaged at all two years ago terribly damaged this time.”

Eddison "Eddie" HermondEddison HermondEllicott CityEllicott City Flood