
A girl's death in Texas floods is her family's third loss this year. 3 mementos she left help her mom cope
It was a green-and-white beaded Camp Mystic necklace – a tribute to the legendary Christian girls' camp in the foothills of Texas' Hill Country where Blakely was going. It's the same camp her mother and other women in the family had attended and forged lifelong memories.
'I gave this necklace to my daughter right before camp, and I advised her that if she didn't want to lose it – because she's 8 years old, and of course, they lose jewelry – I told her to wear it … during the whole time at camp,' McCrory told CNN on Friday.
Blakely's new necklace served as a reminder of her mother's support at a time of immense loss. Blakely's father died from cancer in March. And just last month, she lost her uncle to illness.
But Camp Mystic was a haven where Blakely's grief gave way to joy.
'She was so excited, and it came at such a good time since she lost her daddy,' McCrory said. 'It was a way for her to just heal with that sisterhood and her faith and just all of the fun activities.'
Everything changed in the pre-dawn hours of July 4, when torrential rainfall and catastrophic flooding ripped through central Texas – claiming at least 135 lives, many near the Guadalupe River.
At Camp Mystic, the cabins with the youngest campers were closest to the river. Blakely, along with 26 other Camp Mystic girls and counselors, perished in the deluge – forcing her family to endure yet another unfathomable tragedy.
Despite the anguish, McCrory has found solace – thanks in part to letters that she received from Blakely after she died.
Even though Blakely was a new camper in a cabin full of strangers, she didn't seem nervous about going to camp. 'She loves the outdoors. She loves to fish, horseback ride,' her mother said.
In a letter to her mother, Blakely said camp was 'amazing.' She was looking forward to playing tennis, going horseback riding and trying other sports, she wrote.
The letter also said Blakely became a 'tonk' – something she had dreamed of.
Every new girl at Camp Mystic draws a slip that tells them which 'tribe' they belong to – the Tonkawa or the Kiowa tribe.
'The tribe traditions, which have been handed down since Mystic's beginning' in 1926, 'help to emphasize team spirit, fun competition and good sportsmanship' during games, Camp Mystic's website says.
'After each game, the losing tribe commends the winning tribe who, in turn, compliments the losing tribe. Campers from opposite tribes pair up after each game and go up to Chapel Hill to pray.'
Drawing a red slip meant the Tonkawa tribe. A blue slip signified the Kiowa tribe.
Blakely 'wanted to be a Tonk really badly,' her mom said. 'Her two cousins are both Tonks. … So she wanted to be a Tonk so she could compete with her cousins' tribe.'
The rituals instill 'sportsmanship and competition amongst the girls, which is so great for later on in life,' McCrory said.
After Blakely drew a red slip, 'she was just ecstatic,' her mother said.
In another letter, Blakely made an urgent request to her mother, who was getting ready to donate items because the family was preparing to move:
'PS. Please don't give my Barbie Dream house,' the 8-year-old scrawled on a colorful piece of paper.
McCrory didn't receive those letters until after Blakely died. But the scribbled request forced a smile onto the grieving mother's face.
'It's just funny how a little girl's mind works. And that's why I laughed when I got the letter, because I could just hear her writing her thoughts down,' McCrory said. 'And it was just funny. … It was so Blakely.'
After sending Blakely off to camp, McCrory joined her sister and two nieces on a trip to Europe. It was the first such outing since the deaths of McCrory's husband, Blake, and her brother, Chanse McLeod – both within the last five months.
When news trickled in overseas about some flooding at Camp Mystic, McCrory had no idea how bad it was.
'We were on a boat, and when we docked for lunch, we received some text messages' – including one reporting flooding at Camp Mystic.
'And so what popped in my mind – because we didn't have all of the full reports of the 30-foot surge – (was) that it was like the flood in 1987, when I was a camper.'
Back then, 'you had to stay in your cabin for safety,' she said. 'They didn't want people walking in the mud and sliding around since there are so many hills. And they would bring food to us. And so that was what I first imagined it was.'
McCrory then lost cell service and didn't receive a call from Camp Mystic. Eventually, she gained access to her voicemails and heard a horrid message: Blakely was missing.
'I just dropped the phone on the table, shaking,' she said. 'I was frozen when I heard that voicemail.'
McCrory soon jumped on a plane back to Houston. At the same time, Blakely's half-brother and his mother scoured an evacuation center in Ingram, hoping to find Blakely.
For two days, the family waited in anguish as crews trudged through thick mud and debris searching for victims and survivors.
Then, on July 7, McCrory received the dreaded news: Blakely's body had been found. She was still wearing the Camp Mystic necklace her mom had given her – a piece of jewelry that helped identify her.
For a widow who lost her husband, her only brother and her daughter in just five months, McCrory is remarkably composed. She exudes an aura of calmness and even optimism.
McCrory chalks it up to her faith, her family and her support network – all of which have ties to Camp Mystic.
'My faith is so strong. Actually, I was a camper at Camp Mystic, and I felt so close to my faith attending there as a camper,' she said. 'We had lovely devotionals on the waterfront where the Guadalupe River is, in the mornings, and then in the evenings, on Sundays, we went to Chapel Hill. And just the sisterhood, the faith – it just really brought me closer.'
McCrory said she has learned how to cope after each tragedy and takes comfort in knowing her lost loved ones are together again.
'We lost my husband in March, and then my brother in June. So I think that prepared me for Blakely's loss,' she said. 'I'm coping very well. I have amazing love and support from people I know (and) from people I don't know. The mothers of the campers that were lost were on a group text, and were able to share stories and thoughts – and even funny moments.'
As she prepared for Blakely's funeral Friday, McCrory wore the beaded necklace that she had given her daughter. 'My good friends from high school had it extended so that I could wear it, so I would have a touchstone close to my heart,' she said.
She's also thankful for Blakely – and the fact that her final days were spent doing what she loved.
'She had the best time at camp. She went out on a happy note,' her mother said.
And as the water started to rise, a counselor made a keen observation: 'Blakely was encouraging her cabinmates to not be afraid,' McCrory said.
'She was always a leader, encouraging others. So in my heart, I know it happened fast. And I'm just so grateful the life that she lived was so happy.'
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CNN
3 hours ago
- CNN
For these Mexican firefighters, finding migrants' bodies on the border prepared them to help in the Texas flooding recovery
Pulling dead bodies of migrants and their children from the raging waters of the Rio Grande along the US-Mexico border is something a group of Mexican firefighters from border town Ciudad Acuña are used to. Techniques honed during routine searches, like sticking a PVC pipe through a mound of debris to smell the decomposing scent of bodies, proved invaluable after the devastating July Fourth central Texas flooding along the Guadalupe River. Cristopher Herrera and Jorge Fuentes, members of rescue group Fundación 911, were some of the earliest first responders that arrived to assist in the search and recovery efforts. Their group is trained for specialized search and rescue situations along the Rio Grande, a river migrants from Central and South America cross hoping to start a new life in the United States. The rescue group stepped up to help in Texas despite the strenuous immigration climate in the US, marked by deportation flights, ICE raids and court cases playing out across the country. 'This is not about politics or borders or anything like that,' Fuentes told CNN. 'It's about people helping people, and it's a community helping another community. Politics … doesn't come into play when human lives are at stake.' Herrera had a day off on July 4 when the scale of the flooding in Texas came into the public eye. When his group of firefighters with the Ciudad of Acuña's fire department found out what was happening in Kerr County, they immediately began coordinating plans to help in their WhatsApp group. Roughly a month before the catastrophic flooding, some of the firefighters of Fundación 911 held training exercises with the Mountain Home Volunteer Fire Department in central Texas. When they started to understand the level of devastation, one of Fundación 911's leaders called the Texas fire department asking if they needed help. The next morning, the Mexican fire department began gathering equipment, vehicles and supplies, Fuentes said. The Acuña firefighters were able to enter the country lawfully, with three requiring a provisional permit to work as humanitarian aid workers, Herrera said. Less than two days after the Guadalupe River surged, these Mexican firefighters arrived in Texas to aid in rescue and recovery. They were comprised of two groups: Fundación 911 and firefighters working with the Ciudad of Acuña's fire department. Fundación 911 is a nonprofit group of firefighters united to gather donations of materials and equipment from fire stations and other emergency response stations to give to different corps in Mexico that don't have the money to acquire them. Many members of the group had family in the region, which helped them understand the level and scale of the flooding, Herrera said. At least 136 people were killed in central Texas during the historic July Fourth flooding, among those dead were girls from Camp Mystic along the Guadalupe River. More than a summer's worth of rain fell into the area that night, catapulting the surrounding area into chaos. Wading through the raging waters of the Guadalupe River after the flooding presented a new challenge for the group of firefighters from Mexico. The Fundación 911 firefighters worked in collaboration with the Mountain Home Volunteer Fire Department across Kerr County, hunting up and down the Guadalupe River for signs of life. 'When we saw the situation there in Kerr County, it was totally different. It's a natural disaster, an emergency,' Herrera said. 'It was completely different than a Rio Bravo rescue,' referring to the river's name in Mexico. Unlike the Rio Grande, which has significant sections of raging currents, in addition to still waters, the firefighters had to brave through a river full of fallen trees, cars, mobile homes and other forms of debris, Fuentes said. 'The amount of water that came down the Guadalupe River was completely out of proportion to what we had in mind,' Herrera said. 'Here was not only a search in the water but also debris removal and a little bit of investigation.' The Guadalupe River tested these firefighters' knowledge and experience with search and rescue tactics, he said. Prev Next The crews spent six days in the country, and the majority of the search and rescue operations were held over the first few days of the flooding. As rescue operations wound down, the priority shifted to a recovery mission heading downwind along the river. As they looked for bodies, the group of firefighters began using a technique they use along the Rio Grande where they stick a PVC pipe through debris to see if they can smell a decomposing body, Fuentes said. The decision to help in the Texas flooding was personal for Fuentes, who put himself in the shoes of parents worrying about the whereabouts and safety of their children lost in the floods. As a father of two, Fuentes stressed he would have wanted all of the help he could have in the search and rescue missions. When Ismael Aldaba, the president of Fundación 911, called, 'It was a no brainer for me,' Fuentes said. 'I immediately decided to go over and help.' The devastation and the reminders of all that was lost stood out to Aldaba. 'A lot of the challenges that we've seen here we've never seen in any of the emergencies we've had before, not to this magnitude,' Aldaba told CNN. 'It's amazing to see personal items, clothing, 20 to 25 feet stuck on the trees.' One of the main motivations for the group of firefighters during their recovery missions was to locate the missing Camp Mystic girls during their six days along the Guadalupe, Herrera said. 'If it had been my daughter, I would be here day, afternoon and night until I found her,' Herrera said. Helping out in Texas with these search and rescue efforts was an unforgettable experience, especially because of the warmth from locals, Herrera said. The Latino community in Kerr County welcomed the Mexican crews with open arms, offering them houses, places to sleep and bathe, Herrera said. Each day, locals gave them food, fresh water and desserts. 'They took us to a person who did our hair for free, took us to nurses who put us on IVs and other things. We had a person who gave us a massage to relax us because of the high stress we had in the flood situation,' he said. 'To think that the whole community was grateful that we were there, and not only the Latino community, but all the people who came wherever we stopped, they thanked us,' Herrera said. Fire departments across the state from different counties and cities including Dallas, Arlington, Plano and Corpus Christi extended their hands to meet them personally, Herrera said. The Mexican group exchanged techniques and experiences while working under the Mountain Home Volunteer Fire Department, teaching each other new skills, including the PVC pipe technique to find bodies. The bond the two groups of firefighters forged stems from a mutual calling to serve the greater good, Herrera said. 'If you arrive at a fire station in the United States and want to talk to someone, they will always welcome you with open arms,' he said. 'That vocation to serve in all emergency services, especially the fire department, is a very beautiful thing. It fills you with joy – they adopt you as if you were one of them.'


CNN
4 hours ago
- CNN
For these Mexican firefighters, finding migrants' bodies on the border prepared them to help in the Texas flooding recovery
Pulling dead bodies of migrants and their children from the raging waters of the Rio Grande along the US-Mexico border is something a group of Mexican firefighters from border town Ciudad Acuña are used to. Techniques honed during routine searches, like sticking a PVC pipe through a mound of debris to smell the decomposing scent of bodies, proved invaluable after the devastating July Fourth central Texas flooding along the Guadalupe River. Cristopher Herrera and Jorge Fuentes, members of rescue group Fundación 911, were some of the earliest first responders that arrived to assist in the search and recovery efforts. Their group is trained for specialized search and rescue situations along the Rio Grande, a river migrants from Central and South America cross hoping to start a new life in the United States. The rescue group stepped up to help in Texas despite the strenuous immigration climate in the US, marked by deportation flights, ICE raids and court cases playing out across the country. 'This is not about politics or borders or anything like that,' Fuentes told CNN. 'It's about people helping people, and it's a community helping another community. Politics … doesn't come into play when human lives are at stake.' Herrera had a day off on July 4 when the scale of the flooding in Texas came into the public eye. When his group of firefighters with the Ciudad of Acuña's fire department found out what was happening in Kerr County, they immediately began coordinating plans to help in their WhatsApp group. Roughly a month before the catastrophic flooding, some of the firefighters of Fundación 911 held training exercises with the Mountain Home Volunteer Fire Department in central Texas. When they started to understand the level of devastation, one of Fundación 911's leaders called the Texas fire department asking if they needed help. The next morning, the Mexican fire department began gathering equipment, vehicles and supplies, Fuentes said. The Acuña firefighters were able to enter the country lawfully, with three requiring a provisional permit to work as humanitarian aid workers, Herrera said. Less than two days after the Guadalupe River surged, these Mexican firefighters arrived in Texas to aid in rescue and recovery. They were comprised of two groups: Fundación 911 and firefighters working with the Ciudad of Acuña's fire department. Fundación 911 is a nonprofit group of firefighters united to gather donations of materials and equipment from fire stations and other emergency response stations to give to different corps in Mexico that don't have the money to acquire them. Many members of the group had family in the region, which helped them understand the level and scale of the flooding, Herrera said. At least 136 people were killed in central Texas during the historic July Fourth flooding, among those dead were girls from Camp Mystic along the Guadalupe River. More than a summer's worth of rain fell into the area that night, catapulting the surrounding area into chaos. Wading through the raging waters of the Guadalupe River after the flooding presented a new challenge for the group of firefighters from Mexico. The Fundación 911 firefighters worked in collaboration with the Mountain Home Volunteer Fire Department across Kerr County, hunting up and down the Guadalupe River for signs of life. 'When we saw the situation there in Kerr County, it was totally different. It's a natural disaster, an emergency,' Herrera said. 'It was completely different than a Rio Bravo rescue,' referring to the river's name in Mexico. Unlike the Rio Grande, which has significant sections of raging currents, in addition to still waters, the firefighters had to brave through a river full of fallen trees, cars, mobile homes and other forms of debris, Fuentes said. 'The amount of water that came down the Guadalupe River was completely out of proportion to what we had in mind,' Herrera said. 'Here was not only a search in the water but also debris removal and a little bit of investigation.' The Guadalupe River tested these firefighters' knowledge and experience with search and rescue tactics, he said. Prev Next The crews spent six days in the country, and the majority of the search and rescue operations were held over the first few days of the flooding. As rescue operations wound down, the priority shifted to a recovery mission heading downwind along the river. As they looked for bodies, the group of firefighters began using a technique they use along the Rio Grande where they stick a PVC pipe through debris to see if they can smell a decomposing body, Fuentes said. The decision to help in the Texas flooding was personal for Fuentes, who put himself in the shoes of parents worrying about the whereabouts and safety of their children lost in the floods. As a father of two, Fuentes stressed he would have wanted all of the help he could have in the search and rescue missions. When Ismael Aldaba, the president of Fundación 911, called, 'It was a no brainer for me,' Fuentes said. 'I immediately decided to go over and help.' The devastation and the reminders of all that was lost stood out to Aldaba. 'A lot of the challenges that we've seen here we've never seen in any of the emergencies we've had before, not to this magnitude,' Aldaba told CNN. 'It's amazing to see personal items, clothing, 20 to 25 feet stuck on the trees.' One of the main motivations for the group of firefighters during their recovery missions was to locate the missing Camp Mystic girls during their six days along the Guadalupe, Herrera said. 'If it had been my daughter, I would be here day, afternoon and night until I found her,' Herrera said. Helping out in Texas with these search and rescue efforts was an unforgettable experience, especially because of the warmth from locals, Herrera said. The Latino community in Kerr County welcomed the Mexican crews with open arms, offering them houses, places to sleep and bathe, Herrera said. Each day, locals gave them food, fresh water and desserts. 'They took us to a person who did our hair for free, took us to nurses who put us on IVs and other things. We had a person who gave us a massage to relax us because of the high stress we had in the flood situation,' he said. 'To think that the whole community was grateful that we were there, and not only the Latino community, but all the people who came wherever we stopped, they thanked us,' Herrera said. Fire departments across the state from different counties and cities including Dallas, Arlington, Plano and Corpus Christi extended their hands to meet them personally, Herrera said. The Mexican group exchanged techniques and experiences while working under the Mountain Home Volunteer Fire Department, teaching each other new skills, including the PVC pipe technique to find bodies. The bond the two groups of firefighters forged stems from a mutual calling to serve the greater good, Herrera said. 'If you arrive at a fire station in the United States and want to talk to someone, they will always welcome you with open arms,' he said. 'That vocation to serve in all emergency services, especially the fire department, is a very beautiful thing. It fills you with joy – they adopt you as if you were one of them.'
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Texas Lottery results: Powerball, Lotto Texas winning numbers for July 21, 2025
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