Race on to rescue 11 campers still missing in rising Texas floods
Nearly 70 people have been killed since raging floodwaters slammed into central Texas on Friday.
The victims include children who vanished along the Guadalupe River banks at Camp Mystic – a Christian summer camp where most of the dead were recovered.
Among those confirmed dead were an 8-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was at Camp Mystic, and the director of another camp up the road.
Miraculously, one cabin full of girls managed to hold onto a rope thrown to them by rescuers as they walked across a bridge to safety with water gushing around their legs.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha says that 11 campers and a camp counsellor are still missing in the powerful floods.
There were about 750 children at Camp Mystic when the floods hit, the sheriff said earlier.
But with each passing hour, the outlook became more bleak. Volunteers and some families of the missing who drove to the disaster zone began searching the riverbanks despite being asked not to do so.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott visited the summer camp for the first time on Sunday describing the scene as 'horrendously ravaged'.
'Today I visited Camp Mystic. It, and the river running beside it, were horrendously ravaged in ways unlike I've seen in any natural disaster,' Abbott wrote.
'The height the rushing water reached to the top of the cabins was shocking. We won't stop until we find every girl who was in those cabins.'
Authorities faced growing questions about whether enough warnings were issued in area long vulnerable to flooding and whether enough preparations were made.,
It came after a father of three sacrificed himself to save his family from the Texas flash floods telling them, 'I'm sorry, I'm not going to make it. I love y'all.'
Julian Ryan, 27, died after the Guadalupe River in central Texas rose 30 feet and flooded into his family's home.
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Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Texas flood victim's chilling final text before river washed house away
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Scottish Sun
10 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Camp Mystic director's tragic final act to save girls from Texas floods as wall of water tore through cabins killing 27
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE director of Camp Mystic desperately tried to save young girls in a heartbreaking final act before the vacation spot was swamped by flooding. At least 27 campers and staffers were killed in the deluge that has been branded 'nothing short of horrific' by Texas governor Greg Abbott. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Dick Eastland was killed trying to save campers at Camp Mystic Credit: Unpixs 7 Eastland has been hailed for his heroism Credit: Unpixs 7 Eastland has been branded a 'father figure' in glowing tributes Credit: Instagram/George Eastland The death toll stands at 82 and dozens still remain missing. Dick Eastland and his wife, Tweety, were the third-generation of their family to manage the camp, having bought it in 1974. He was trying to rescue young campers when the flooding hit the camp on July 4, located around 80 miles northwest of San Antonio. The Christian summer camp was overwhelmed after the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes. read more on news FLOOD HELL Vids show kids having fun at Texas camp before singing through sobs as they flee Eastland's grandson, George, revealed his grandpa had died when the water crashed through the walls of the cabins. 'If he wasn't going to die of natural causes, this was the only other way—saving the girls that he so loved and cared for,' he wrote on Instagram. 'That's the kind of man my grandfather was. He was a husband, father, grandfather, and a mentor to thousands of young women. 'Although he no longer walks this earth, his impact will never fade in the lives he touched.' Eastland, who had previously fought brain cancer, was found dead near his car, as reported by the San Antonio Express News. His body was discovered near some of the others killed in the flooding. Two brothers in miracle escape from Texas floods after they swam for their lives as water reached top bunk in camp cabin Tweety, meanwhile, was found safe at the family home. Paige Sumner, a family friend, has led the tributes to the camp director. In an op-ed to the Kerrville Daily Times, she said the girls at the camp looked up to Eastland as if he was a 'father figure.' Dick Eastland's grandson's tribute DICK Eastland, the director of Camp Mystic, was killed in the floods while trying to save young girls. His grandson, George, penned a tribute on social media. "If he wasn't going to die of natural causes, this was the only other way, saving the girls that he so loved and cared for. "That's the man my grandfather was. A husband, father, grandfather, and mentor to thousands of young women, he no longer walks this earth, but his impact will never leave the lives he touched. "Daddy Dicky, you were not just my grandpa, but my dear friend, fishing buddy, hunting guide, golf partner, avid Texas Longhorns fanatic, my #1 fan, and above all else: a hero. I remember looking out the window on my way to my first career playoff game as Kerrville gathered to send us off. "My entire family was busy and I didn't expect anyone to show, but he was there with a big poster hoisted above his head, and an even bigger smile. "I'm proud that I made you a grandfather Daddy Dicky, but blessed that you made me the man I am today. "Although I am devastated, I can't say I'm surprised that you sacrificed your life with the hopes of someone else's being saved. "Life cannot possibly be the same without you, but the Eastland family will continue to remain faithful during these times. "We love you Daddy Dicky." Source: Instagram 'Dick and Tweety were also role models in their loving relationship,' she penned. 'When we looked at them, they were still that much in love.' She revealed that the couple were kind and welcoming when meeting them for the first time. Sumner also highlighted how Eastland was a selfless character, who would put the needs of others first. 'It doesn't surprise me at all that his last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers,' she wrote. Ann Conner Yarbrough Armitage also wrote how it wasn't a surprise Eastland would try to save the lives of the children. ' He was so approachable, he always remembered my name, he was positive, kind and he loved his family,' she wrote on Facebook. 'This is an unspeakable loss.' Texas lawmaker August Pfluger also paid a glowing tribute to Eastland for his bravery. 'Camp Mystic's Dick Eastland no doubt gave his life attempting to save his campers,' he wrote on X. 'Thank you Mr. Eastland. We love you and miss you.' Camp Mystic officials have confirmed that 27 campers and counselors have died. Around 750 kids were at the camp when the floods hit, according to cops in Kerr County. VICTIMS IDENTIFIED Janie Hunt, who is related to Clark Hunt, the owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, is among those who have been killed. Eloise Peck, eight, and nine-year-old Lila Bonner have also been identified as among the victims. Sisters Blair and Brooke Harber were holding tightly onto each other when their bodies were found - 15 miles downriver, according to their school St. Rita Catholic Community. Brooke was described as an accomplished basketball and soccer player, while Blair was an avid member of the yearbook team. Blair was looking forward to starring in the 8th grade play, according to the school. The sisters sent their parents a final text saying: 'I love you,' before they drowned. Blair and Brooke's parents were staying in another cabin near Hunt. 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Spectator
14 hours ago
- Spectator
Must we forgive the 7/7 bombers?
'Bear in mind these dead, I can find no plainer words,' wrote the Northern Irish poet John Hewitt reflecting on the Troubles's terrible death toll. How we remember the victims of terrorism and articulate the harm it causes comes to mind today, the 20th anniversary of the 7/7 Islamist attack on London's transport network. The bombings killed 53 commuters and sentenced hundreds more to a life without limbs, eyes or peace of mind. Many of the victims of 7/7 have spoken in detail about how they have used sometimes miraculous escapes to reframe their lives and give them new purpose. Others have spoken about the freedom and closure of forgiveness. Those who have suffered inconceivable pain through the sudden kinetic brutality of terrorism, either as victims or the bereaved, have every right to process how they make sense of it in their own way. But I worry that the busy hand of reconciliation that seems to elevate forgiveness above all other reactions leaves those simply – and legitimately – angry untouched. Much is made of the Christian instinct to forgive those who trespass against us. The father of Marie Wilson, murdered in the 1987 Enniskillen bombing, became famous around the world for forgiving the terrorists who killed his daughter in the rubble feet away from him. It exposed the moral vacuity of the IRA's campaign like nothing else could. But for every Gordon Wilson, there are other victims of terrorism who cannot forgive and who will not move on. Their experience is every bit as valid. In the Christian tradition, forgiveness is also contingent on repentance. In the case of 7/7, there is no one left to seek absolution for their grave sins. The suicide bombers denied their victims any possible closure in a final act of nihilistic wickedness. Subsequent attacks by Islamist militants have only demonstrated an increasingly depraved indifference to human life. Several survivors of the atrocity have said they still see the faces of the four bombers whenever they close their eyes. There may be forgiveness for some. But for many there is no forgetting this side of the grave. I have sat with several victims of terrorism who are implacably consumed with hatred for what has been done to them or theirs. The fashionable consensus is that these people damage only themselves with unrelievable rage. Many well-meaning clinicians argue that letting go of such emotions and moving on with life is the psychologically healthy option. We must be extremely wary of somehow labelling such emotions as a 'second-class' response. Anger can sometimes give birth to new purpose or even a way of going on for those affected. Not everyone can or should subscribe to the 'don't look back in anger' Disneyfication of events like the Manchester Arena bombing. Candles and flowers are a natural expression of community grief and resilience but the closer you are to the epicentre of a terror attack, and the more they happen regardless, the more disfiguring reflexive forgiveness can seem. Survivors of the 7/7 bombing have found their own way to handle what was done to them. All responses, including simply wanting to forget, are equally valid and must be endowed with the same dignity. The government is currently considering the idea of a national day of remembrance for the victims of terrorism. Any arrangements must not seek to constrain the different ways people process violence against them or their loved ones. Gill Hicks, a 7/7 survivor, provides another perspective. She lost both legs and spoke movingly on the BBC's Women's Hour today about her ordeal. An extraordinary presence of mind kept her alive, fixing tourniquets to her shattered limbs. Other survivors spoke about fellow passengers holding the dying as they slipped away, the heroic emergency response, the comfort of strangers in an inconceivable hellscape of noise, dust and suffering, the forging of lifelong friendships in adversity. These behaviours cannot defeat the terrorists. But they signal something beyond their comprehension which we can use on days like these: they will never crush love.
