Who Was Janie Hunt? Chiefs Owner's Family Confirms 9-Year-Old Camp Mystic Camper Killed in Texas Floods Was Family Member
Janie's body was found by emergency workers on Saturday after being swept by the powerful currents. The death toll has climbed to 82 after the flooding of the Guadalupe River, which rose over 30 feet above its normal level on Friday. Among the 68 bodies recovered so far, 28 are children.
Young Family Member Lost
"Our hearts are broken by the devastation from the floods in Wimberley and the tragic loss of so many lives — including a precious little Hunt cousin, along with several friend's little girls," Tavia Hunt, Clark's wife, wrote on Instagram. "How do we trust a God who is supposed to be good, all knowing and all powerful, but who allows such terrible things to happen — even to children?
"That is a sacred and tender question — and one the Bible doesn't shy away from. Scripture is filled with the cries of those whose hearts have been shattered, who still wrestle to trust the same God they believe allowed the pain."
Janie was the great-granddaughter of the late billionaire William Herbert Hunt, who was also the brother of Lamar Hunt, the late founder of the Kansas City Chiefs. Lamar Hunt was Clark Hunt's father.
Eleven girls are missing from Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, and five other campers have been confirmed dead after powerful floodwaters ripped through the private Christian summer camp for girls.
The camp's beloved director, 70-year-old Richard 'Dick' Eastland, lost his life while heroically trying to save campers as an entire month's worth of rain fell within minutes.
Total Devastation
Just a week before the disaster, the camp had posted videos on social media showing the girls performing cheerfully on stage during their first term's chorus and dance recital. The youngest campers were housed in low-lying "flats" within the cabins, while the older girls stayed in cabins built on higher ground, according to The New York Times.
Most of the missing children are from the younger group, who were sleeping only a few yards from the banks of the Guadalupe River.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated that around 750 girls were present at the camp when the floodwaters struck.
He also vowed that officials would continue their search efforts tirelessly and announced that Sunday would be observed as a day of prayer.
"I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines," Abbott said in a statement.
Family members of the missing have begun arriving to the Kerrville region from various parts of Texas to offer DNA samples to assist investigators.
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Who Was Janie Hunt? Chiefs Owner's Family Confirms 9-Year-Old Camp Mystic Camper Killed in Texas Floods Was Family Member
The wife of Kansas City Chiefs' owner, Clark Hunt, has confirmed that a member of their family has sadly passed away in the catastrophic flooding in Texas. Tavia Hunt, Clark's wife, shared that Janie Hunt, a young cousin in the family, was one of the Camp Mystic campers who died in the incident. Janie was just 9 years old. Janie's body was found by emergency workers on Saturday after being swept by the powerful currents. The death toll has climbed to 82 after the flooding of the Guadalupe River, which rose over 30 feet above its normal level on Friday. Among the 68 bodies recovered so far, 28 are children. Young Family Member Lost "Our hearts are broken by the devastation from the floods in Wimberley and the tragic loss of so many lives — including a precious little Hunt cousin, along with several friend's little girls," Tavia Hunt, Clark's wife, wrote on Instagram. "How do we trust a God who is supposed to be good, all knowing and all powerful, but who allows such terrible things to happen — even to children? "That is a sacred and tender question — and one the Bible doesn't shy away from. Scripture is filled with the cries of those whose hearts have been shattered, who still wrestle to trust the same God they believe allowed the pain." Janie was the great-granddaughter of the late billionaire William Herbert Hunt, who was also the brother of Lamar Hunt, the late founder of the Kansas City Chiefs. Lamar Hunt was Clark Hunt's father. Eleven girls are missing from Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, and five other campers have been confirmed dead after powerful floodwaters ripped through the private Christian summer camp for girls. The camp's beloved director, 70-year-old Richard 'Dick' Eastland, lost his life while heroically trying to save campers as an entire month's worth of rain fell within minutes. Total Devastation Just a week before the disaster, the camp had posted videos on social media showing the girls performing cheerfully on stage during their first term's chorus and dance recital. The youngest campers were housed in low-lying "flats" within the cabins, while the older girls stayed in cabins built on higher ground, according to The New York Times. Most of the missing children are from the younger group, who were sleeping only a few yards from the banks of the Guadalupe River. Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated that around 750 girls were present at the camp when the floodwaters struck. He also vowed that officials would continue their search efforts tirelessly and announced that Sunday would be observed as a day of prayer. "I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines," Abbott said in a statement. Family members of the missing have begun arriving to the Kerrville region from various parts of Texas to offer DNA samples to assist investigators.
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Camp Mystic co-owner Richard "Dick" Eastland has been confirmed among the dead while heroically trying to save campers from being carried away by the deadly floodwaters in Texas. Eastland, 70, lost his life while attempting to save campers from the catastrophic floodwaters that swept through Texas on July 4. At least 11 girls and one counselor remain missing from Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, after the rushing floodwaters tore through the private Christian summer camp for girls, claiming the lives of five campers. The death toll has climbed to 59, including 21 children, after the Guadalupe River rose as much as 30 feet above its normal level during Friday's flood. Real Hero Eastland had been part of the private Christian girls' camp since purchasing it in 1974 and had served as its director. The camp director's wife, Tweety, was found safe at their home, according to Texas Public Radio. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly told the Washington Post that Eastland, a father of four, died in a helicopter while being rushed to a hospital in Houston. His nephew confirmed his death in a Facebook post. "It doesn't surprise me at all that his last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers," The Kerrville Daily Times guest columnist and former camper Paige Sumner said in a tribute to Eastland. "Dick was the father figure to all of us while we were away from home at Camp Mystic for six weeks. "He was the father of four amazing boys, but he had hundreds of girls each term who looked up to him like a dad. I would never have taken a fishing class if it wasn't taught by my new friend Dick." Family Devastated Eastland used to teach fishing to the younger campers, and former attendees remembered him as a warm, grandfather-like presence. Both he and his wife were highly respected by the campers and were often spotted teaching or roaming around the campgrounds. The couple has 11 grandchildren, and several of their children and their spouses are actively involved in running the camp. Their eldest son, Richard, oversees the kitchen operations, while their youngest son, Edward, and his wife serve as directors of Camp Mystic Guadalupe River, as mentioned on the camp's website. Both Eastland and his wife attended the University of Texas at Austin and live on the camp property. Eastland represented the third generation of his family to lead the all-girls Christian summer camp, which was founded in 1926. Eastland had previously battled and survived brain cancer, according to the Kerrville Daily Times. He also served on the Hunt Independent School District Board and was formerly a coach for both the West Kerr County Little League and the West Kerr County Little Dribblers, the outlet reported. At least 23 girls from the camp are still unaccounted for. Authorities have confirmed that the flood death toll has risen to 59, including 21 children who were swept away by the raging waters. At the time the flooding began on Friday, around 750 campers were present at the camp.
