Republican congressman reunites with daughters after Texas camp flooding, thanks ‘countless heroes'
Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, said his two daughters were evacuated from Camp Mystic, a camp along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas.
"Camille, Vivian and I are now reunited with Caroline and Juliana who were evacuated from Camp Mystic," Pfluger said of his family. "The last day has brought unimaginable grief to many families and we mourn with them as well as holding out hope for survivors."
As of Sunday morning, five young girls who were staying at Camp Mystic have been confirmed dead. Kerr County officials confirmed 27 campers were still missing about 36 hours after the flood. There were 750 attendees when the wall of water slammed into the camp.
"The camp was completely destroyed," 13-year-old Elinor Lester, one of hundreds of campers, told the Associated Press. "A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary."
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has vowed that rescuers "won't stop until we find every girl who was in those cabins" at Camp Mystic.
In a separate post, Pfluger praised the heroism of camp counselors and others who acted to save lives during the height of the flooding.
"There are countless heroes who acted so bravely during this tragic situation – who sacrificed for others – thank you… and for most of you we will never even know the stories or understand what you did! But, THANK YOU!" the congressman wrote.
Pfluger said Camp Mystic's co-owner, Dick Eastland, sacrificed his life to save the girls attending the camp.
"Camp Mystic's Dick Eastland no doubt gave his life attempting to save his campers," Pfluger wrote in a third post.. "For decades he and his wife Tweety poured his life into loving and developing girls and women of character. Thank you Mr. Eastland. We love you and miss you."
The flooding in Kerr County killed at least 59 people, including 21 children. Officials confirmed at least another eight people died in nearby counties.
Other stories of heroism have begun to surface as the floodwaters recede in Texas.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry praised Emma Foltz, a resident of Alexandria, Louisiana, and a senior at Louisiana Tech University, who has worked as a camp counselor at Camp Mystic in Texas for three years.
"She played an instrumental role in helping evacuate 14 of her campers to safety," Landry wrote in a Facebook post. "Please join me in thanking Emma for all her hard work and bravery under immense pressure."
Elsewhere in Kerr County, a family helped save a woman's life after she was swept 20 miles downriver and clung to a tree for hours in the deadly flash flooding.
Pfluger asked the public to "pray for miracles" as crews continue searching for survivors of the floods, including 11 young girls and one counselor missing from Camp Mystic.
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