Sisters, 11 & 13, found dead with ‘hands locked together' after being swept 15 miles by floods as dad tried to save them
Sisters Blair, 13, and Brooke Harber, 11, were on a trip with family in Hunt, Texas, when intense late-night flooding took place suddenly on Friday.
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RJ Harber, the father, was awoken suddenly in his cabin at about 3:30 am to the sounds of rushing water in the home.
Right around the same time, daughter Brooke texted her grandparents and father and said that she loved them.
As the cabin flooded, RJ and wife Annie attempted to break a window to check on their daughters, who were staying with their grandparents in a cabin five houses down with two dogs.
"At that point the water was rising one foot per minute," a GoFundMe for the family read. "The waters were too high to get to our family so he went to other neighbors to borrow a kayak."
RJ was unable to reach the cabin in the kayak due to the rough conditions.
He then fled to a nearby house with other survivors alongside his wife as the freezing waters had reached chin level.
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"Houses started falling apart and floating away," Jennifer Harber, the victims' aunt, said.
"I believe only 4 or 6 are left standing out of 20 houses in that community."
Just 12 hours later, Brooke and Blair were found dead around 15 miles away.
The girls were still holding each others hands when their bodies were located.
Dad dies after having arm 'almost cut clean off' while saving wife & kids as they floated on mattress in Texas floods
Their grandparents who were staying with them that night, Mike and Charlene Harber, are still missing.
The sole survivor of the cabin found was the family's lab, who shockingly made it out of a window and found the parents at the house up the hill.
The other dog also did not make it.
"They were believers and one of their favorite classes was religion," Jennifer said of the girls.
Message from Harber Family
From Jennifer Harber:
"My brother and his wife Annie identified the bodies of my nieces Blair age 13 and Brooke age 11 yesterday afternoon about 12 hours after the flood that started the morning of July 4th at 3:30am. My parents Mike and Charlene Harber have not been found as of now. Prayers are needed so we can bring them home.
"My brother R.J. and Annie made it back to Dallas yesterday evening.
"The storm woke them up at 3:30am and they wanted R.J. to walk five houses down towards the river in their gated community of Casa Bonita in Hunt, TX. to check on the girls who they had tucked in bed that night at 11pm. My parents were downstairs in the guest bedroom and my nieces were upstairs in the loft. My mom, dad and nieces stayed at that house because the house they owned was a one bedroom and the neighbors were kind enough to let them stay there since they were out of town. To my brothers surprise when he stepped out of bed their house had already started to flood. They said you couldn't hear it at all because the rain was so loud. If they had not woken up to check on the girls they would have drowned too. It's a miracle they got out they had to break a window and get out immediately. At that point the water was rising one foot per minute. The waters were too high to get to our family so he went to other neighbors to borrow a kayak. He woke two neighbors up for help saved their lives and borrowed a kayak but the water had risen too high to reach the neighbors house that my parents and nieces and their 2 dogs were at. He attempted by kayak and the house was only 5 houses down closest to the river but the waters were too rough. He knew he would be swept away there were white caps on the waves so kayaked back to where the other 6 survivors were. Rain pouring, loud thunder and lightning they had nightgowns on. Transmitters were going off everywhere. It was pitch dark. By the time they got out the water was up to Annie's chin. They said they were surprised they didn't have hypothermia it was freezing waters. RJ, Annie and the other 5 they woke somehow made it to a house on the other side of the flooded highway and strangers let all 7 in. Somehow their lab made it out of the window and I don't know how but found them across the flooded highway up the hill at that house. Their other dog did not make it. Shortly after they crossed the highway the houses in their gated community were swept away as were cars. Trees uprooted. Very shortly after they crossed the flooded highway houses started falling apart and floating away and I believe only 4 or 6 are left standing out of 20 houses in that community.
"Brooke texted my brother, her Grandmother and Grandfather on Annie's side saying I love you at 3:30am. My nieces were upstairs in the loft. They were believers and one of their favorite classes was religion. Blair and I had a conversation about God and heaven two weeks earlier. They had their rosaries with them. Their bodies were found yesterday afternoon 15 miles away in Kerrville. When they were found their hands were locked together.
"What RJ and Annie went through that morning was a nightmare. They were rescued that afternoon but were stuck in Hunt the Coast Guard couldn't even get to them. Annie was rescued by helicopter and I think RJ attempted another way earlier to get help.
"I'm a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines and my amazing company is going to fly my nieces home from San Antonio after their autopsy and when they recover my parents their bodies too.
"Brook and Blair will have a joint funeral at St. Rita. To be determined. We haven't even had time to figure out my parents. We need find them first.
"We are beyond devastated and so heartbroken. Prayers are much appreciated and what we needed at this time.
"Please help us find my parents so we can have closure and bring them home. Thank you."
Source: GoFundMe
"Blair and I had a conversation about God and heaven two weeks earlier. They had their rosaries with them."
So far, the family's GoFundMe has raised over $177,300 of its $200,000 goal, with over 1,400 donations.
The floods have killed over 80 people, with the number expected to rise as bodies are recovered.
At least 28 of those deaths are children.
One of the biggest tragedies of the flood occurred at Camp Mystic, a girls summer camp where at least 27 campers and counsellors were killed as water overflowed from the Guadalupe River.
Some still remain missing.
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"We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls," the camp wrote to its website.
"We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from community, first responders, and officials at every level."
The director of the camp, Richard Eastland, was among the dead.
As first responders continue their search and clean up after the disaster, rain is expected to hit the state again on Monday, possibly complicating efforts.
"We continue our 24/7 search & rescue operation until every missing person is found," Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on X Sunday. "It's crucial that Texans remain vigilant."
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