The faces of the Texas floods: Tragic victims, a heroic father, brave camp directors and families clinging to hope as the death toll climbs to 82

Daily Mail​

a day ago

Tales of devastation and heroic sacrifice continue emerge from Texas Hill Country where horrifying floods have killed scores and ravaged the area.
At least 82 people were declared dead - with dozens more missing - when torrential rains created a near-Biblical flash flooding that caught thousands of Lone Star residents by surprise.
Most of the fatalities have occurred at the epicenter of the floods in Kerr County, where Camp Mystic, a girls' summer camp, was washed away early on July 4.
The camp was decimated when the Guadalupe River rose more than 26 feet in just 45 minutes.
At least six campers aged eight and nine have been confirmed as deceased, along with counselor Chloe Childress and director Dick Eastland.
Eleven girls are still missing and make up part of the 41 people who remain unaccounted for in the region, according to officials.
As families anxiously await updates, the authorities were monitoring an additional 'wall of water' that threatened to engulf central Texas again on Sunday and sparked fresh evacuation orders.
At least 28 bodies, including those of 10 children, have yet to be formally identified. Here are the faces of the disaster so far.
Heroic father
Julian Ryan, 27, is being hailed as a hero after he used his final moments to save his family from the fast-moving waters.
The father-of-three selflessly punched through a window to help his fiancée, their children and his mother escape to the roof.
Despite the severe injury, Ryan stayed focused on getting his family out safely.
But with emergency responders unable to reach them in time, the father of two succumbed to his wounds hours later.
But, the glass tore through his arm, severing an artery and nearly detaching the limb.
His final words were, 'I'm sorry, I'm not going to make it. I love y'all.'
Campers
At least seven girls aged between eight and nine-years-old died after their dorm was deluged by flash flooding.
The campers at Camp Mystic in Hunt barely stood a chance after the powerful current slammed into them as they slept.
They have been identified as Renee Smajstrla, eight, Janie Hunt, nine, Sarah Marsh, eight, Lila Bonner, nine, Eloise Peck, eight, Lainey Landry, nine, and Anna Margaret Bellows, eight.
Smajstrla was pictured enjoying her time at the camp the day before she was tragically killed.
Meanwhile, Hunt's loss was being mourned by her family, the owners of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Clark Hunt's wife Tavia posted a touching tribute to the beloved young cousin.
Marsh was described as a 'ray of light' by her grandmother, while Bonner and Peck were best friends who died alongside each other.
Landry's cousin confirmed that she is 'in heaven' and stated, 'the fact that she was found is somewhat of a miracle itself'.
Renne Smajstrla, 8, and Lainey Landry, 9, tragically lost their lives when flood waters ravaged Camp Mystic in Hunt
Sarah Marsh (left), 8, came from Alabama to attend Camp Mystic before she was swept away and killed. She died along with Janie Hunt (right), who was aged 9
Bellows' mom confirmed late Saturday that her daughter's body was pulled from the waters.
Several girls from the camo are missing according to officials, although the exact figure is dynamic as rescue efforts continue.
Selfless camp staff
At least two camp employees are among the victims of the floods.
Director Richard 'Dick' Eastland, 70, died while trying to rescue campers from the biblical rushing waters.
Eastland's nephew, Gardner Eastland, confirmed the death in a Facebook post on Saturday. The camp director's wife, Tweety, was found safe at their home, according to Texas Public Radio.
Father-of-four Eastland died in a helicopter on the way to a Houston hospital, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly told the Washington Post.
The Eastlands have owned and operated Camp Mystic since 1974, and many viewed him as a father figure at the camp.
Camp counselor Chloe Childress also lost her life in the disaster.
The Kinkaid School graduate was about to start studying at the University of Texas at Austin in the fall.
'Whether it was sharing her own challenges to ease someone's burden or quietly cheering a teammate or classmate through a tough day, Chloe made space for others to feel safe, valued, and brave,' Jonathan Eades, the head of The Kinkaid School, wrote in a letter to the school community.
'She understood what it meant to be part of a community, and more than that, she helped build one.'
Missing fire chief
A frantic search is underway for a fire chief who was taken by flood waters while responding to a call out.
Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Michael Phillips went missing while responding to a water rescue at 4.30am on Saturday.
Phillips was called out to Cow Creek in Travis County.
His pulverized emergency vehicle has been recovered, but there is no sign of the fire chief yet.
'The search continues,' Burnet County Emergency Management Coordinator Derek Marchio told CNN Sunday.
Beloved soccer coach and wife
Reece Zunker and his wife Paula are among those who died in the devastating floods, and their two young children are still missing.
The couple's family and local soccer team confirmed their deaths on social media, while one relative said their house was spotted 'floating down the Guadalupe River'.
Tivy Boys Soccer team paid tribute to their coach in a Facebook post, saying he 'rebuilt the soccer program and left a legacy'.
'His passion for his players, students, co-workers, community and his family will never be forgotten,' the team wrote.
Dozens of people commented on the post to share the 'incredible' impact he had on their lives.
Tragic sisters
Two sisters, Blair and Brooke Harber, were among those who were killed in the deadly Texas floods.
They were not attending Camp Mystic when the natural disaster struck. Blair was 13, her sister was 11-years-old.
The girls were with their grandparents at a cabin along the Guadalupe River when they were swept away, reported FOX 4.
The girls' parents were staying at another cabin and are safe. Their grandparents, Charlene and Mike Harber, are missing.
Beloved camp director
The director of another Texas summer camp was also confirmed among the victims.
Jane Ragsdale, 68, devoted her life to the Heart O'the Hills Camp, a summer camp for girls in Texas Hill Country.
She was a camper and counselor there herself in the 1970s before becoming a co-owner. By the 1980s, she was director of the camp in Hunt.
'She was the heart of The Heart,' the camp said in a statement. 'She was our guiding light, our example, and our safe place. She had the rare gift of making every person feel seen, loved, and important.'
Since the camp was between sessions, no children were staying there when the floodwaters rose.
The camp's facilities, directly in the path of the flood, were extensively damaged and access to the site remained difficult, according to camp officials. The camp has been in existence since the 1950s.
Camp officials said Ragsdale would be remembered for her strength and wisdom.
'We are heartbroken. But above all, we are grateful,' the camp said. 'Grateful to have known her, to have learned from her, and to carry her light forward.'
Grandma on her way to work
The last time Tanya Burwick's family heard from her was a frantic phone call about the floodwaters as she headed to work at a Walmart early Friday in the San Angelo area.
When Burwick didn't show up for work, her employer filed a missing persons report and sent a colleague to look for her.
Police investigating the 62-year-old's disappearance found Burwick's unoccupied SUV fully submerged later that day. Her body was found the next morning blocks from the vehicle.
'She lit up the room and had a laugh that made other people laugh,' said Lindsey Burwick, who added that her mom was a beloved parent, grandparent and colleague to many.
Missing friends
The father of Joyce Badon (left) said she and friend Ella Cahill (right) are missing with two others
Wrecked father, Ty Badon, told CNN on Saturday that his daughter and her friends are missing and have not been seen or heard from since the disastrous rush of water.
His daughter, Joyce Badon, and her friends, Ella Cahill, Reese Manchaca and Aiden Heartfield were last heard from around 4am on Friday.
As of Sunday, there was still no update on their whereabouts.
Entire family of six
Five members of the same family are currently missing, according to Xavier Ramos who was camping with them in Ingram when the floods hit.
His cousins Tasha Ramos and Kendall Ramos, stepfather Cody Crossland, his mom Michelle Crossland and his uncle Joel Ramos were all unaccounted for as of Sunday.
His other cousin Devyn Smith, 23, was dramatically rescued after being swept around 12 miles down stream by the floods.
Smith was lifted to safety after local man Carl Jeter spotted her clinging onto a tree near his house.
'She was screaming, "help, help, help",' Jeter told KSAT as he described the incredible moment she was rescued.
Quick-thinking counselors
Amid the chaos and confusion of the floods, two teenage counselors in a neighboring camp managed to keep calm and protect survivors.
Silvana Garza and Maria Paula were tasked with putting on a 'happy face' after terrified campers were deposited at their location.
Though they were scared themselves, they sprang into action, they told NMas.
'Us as counselors, we started to write our names on our skin, anywhere that was visible. We did the same for the girls, wrote their names anywhere that was easy to see,' Paula said.
'We told them to pack a bag, to pack their favorite stuff animal. We didn't know if we were going to be evacuated or not. We were just waiting.'
Silvana explained that the young girls began to catch on that something tragic had happened.
When they learned they were going to be evacuated as well, Silvana said chaos ensued.
'All of the girls started to go crazy, some were crying because they didn't want to leave,' she said.
'Others wanted their parents. I really don't know how to explain it. It was something awful.'
The girls said that they didn't have their cell phones during the event and weren't initially told about the fatalities.
Silvana admitted that she didn't understand the magnitude of the tragedy until they evacuated.