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Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A girls' summer camp cut short by deadly disaster
Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' camp perched on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Texas, was a place of laughter, prayer, and adventure just days ago. Among the girls at the camp was eight-year-old Renee Smajstrla, smiling ear-to-ear in a picture taken on one of those days - "having the time of her life" with her friends. But the next day, the camp she, and so many other young girls loved, turned into the site of one of the deadliest flood disasters in recent Texas history. Smajstrla was among those killed. "She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic," her uncle Shawn Salta wrote on Facebook. Photos show the eerie aftermath: The bunk beds are still there - mud-caked and toppled over, silent witnesses of a summer camp cut short. Destroyed personal belongings are scattered across soaked interiors where children once gathered for Bible study and campfire songs. At least 59 people - among them camp's longtime director, Richard "Dick" Eastland, and several young campers - have been confirmed dead. Eleven of its campers and one camp counsellor remain missing. Many of the girls who remain missing were sleeping in low-lying cabins less than 500 feet from the riverbank, US media reports. Camp Mystic has been operated by the same family for generations, offering girls a chance to grow "spiritually" in a "wholesome" Christian atmosphere, according to its website. Families from all across Texas and the US send their daughters each summer to swim, canoe, ride horses, and form lifelong friendships. But the beauty of the Guadalupe River, which draws so many to the area, also proved deadly. The floodwaters arrived with little warning, ripping through the picturesque riverfront area that is home to nearly 20 youth camps. Though Camp Mystic suffered the greatest losses, officials say the scale of the disaster is far-reaching. Nearby, the all-girls camp Heart O' the Hills also faced flooding. Its co-owner and director, Jane Ragsdale, was among the dead. Fortunately, the camp was out of session at the time. A statement from the camp said, "Most of those who were on camp at the time have been accounted for and are on high ground… We are mourning the loss of a woman who influenced countless lives and was the definition of strong and powerful." Questions are now mounting over why so many camps were situated so close to the river, and why more was not done to evacuate the children in time. Congressman Chip Roy, who represents the area, acknowledged the devastation while urging caution against premature blame. "The response is going to be, 'We've gotta move all these camps - why would you have camps down here by the water?'" Roy said. "Well, you have camps by the water because it's by the water. You have camps near the river because it's a beautiful and wonderful place to be." As recovery efforts continue, families wait anxiously for news of the missing. Search and rescue teams - some navigating by boat, others combing through debris - are working around the clock. Kerr County Sheriff Larry L Leitha said on Sunday that the search for survivors continues but noted that the numbers will continue to change and increase as time goes on. "Until we can get them reunited families, we are not going to stop," City Manager Dalton Rice said. Governor Greg Abbott has declared a state of emergency, and officials warn the final toll may rise in the days to come. Texas flood victims: Girl 'having time of her life' and 'heart and soul' of camp A boy saved by barbed wire, a 'destroyed' camp and missed warning signs in Texas floods Search for missing continues as Texas floods kill 51, including 15 children
Fox News
37 minutes ago
- Fox News
Camp Mystic director dies while trying to save kids during Texas flooding
The camp director and co-owner of Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, died in the catastrophic flooding as he reportedly raced to save the lives of his young campers. Dick Eastland, who purchased the camp in 1974, died after the wall of water crashed through the Christian summer camp, which is located along the banks of the Guadalupe River, Texas Public Radio reported. The report cited a Facebook post from Eastland's nephew, though the post has since been taken down. Counselors, former campers and politicians who knew Eastland praised him for his heroic actions and ultimate sacrifice to save his campers. "Camp Mystic's Dick Eastland no doubt gave his life attempting to save his campers," Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, wrote on X. "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." Pfluger said two of his daughters were at the camp when it was evacuated during the flooding, and they have since been reunited. Paige Sumner, a former camper and friend of Eastland, wrote in Kerrville Daily Times that Eastland "was the father figure to all of us" during summers at the camp. "It doesn't surprise me at all that his last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers," Sumner wrote. "He had already saved so many lives with the gift of Camp Mystic." Kathatine Somerville, a camp counselor at Camp Mystic's Cypress Lake location, told "Fox News Live" on Sunday that the camp director was among the "most selfless men in the whole world." "He was an inspiration to so, so many," she said. "He was a father figure, a comforting force in the uncertainty of everything. He guided us in our faith and our activities. He always told us to make new friends and to share our love with everyone." There were 750 attendees at the camp when the catastrophic flood happened. Over a dozen campers were confirmed dead as of Sunday afternoon, Kerr County officials said. One counselor and 11 campers remained unaccounted for. The death toll across Central Texas climbed to nearly 70 on Sunday. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters during a news conference Sunday morning that of the 59 confirmed dead, there were 38 adults and 21 children. Authorities have reported four deaths in Travis County, three in Burnet and one in Kendall.
Fox News
42 minutes ago
- Fox News
Mercy Chefs serving meals to first responders in Texas amid deadly floods
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