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Two brothers in miracle escape from Texas floods after they swam for their lives as water reached top bunk in camp cabin

Two brothers in miracle escape from Texas floods after they swam for their lives as water reached top bunk in camp cabin

The Irish Sun06-07-2025
TWO brave young brothers have told of their gutsy escape from the Texas floods - which have killed at least 50 and left dozens missing.
Piers and Ruffin Boyett were asleep in the cabin at Camp
La
Junta on the bank of the Guadeloupe River when it was
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Piers (left) and Ruffin (right) Boyett had to swim out of their camp cabin to higher ground
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The floods have left a trail of destruction around Kerr County
Credit: AFP
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Damage to a home near Camp Mystic
Credit: AFP
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The heartbreaking scene in Camp Mystic, from dozens of girls went missing
Credit: AFP
Further down the river, Camp Mystic - a Christian camp hosting around 750 girls - was also swamped, and over
They awoke to find water rising rapidly around them - and were forced to make a split-second decision.
The plucky pair knew immediately that they had to swim.
Younger brother Piers told
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"We had bunk beds in our cabins and [the water] was going up to the top bunk and we had one choice — and we had to swim out of our cabin.'
Ruffin, the elder one, said: 'I had a first-hand view of the flood.
"
The cabins
were flooding and the walls, they broke down.
'All of the campers in those cabins had to go up on the rafters and wait there until they could swim out."
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The brothers fought through the water to reach another cabin on higher ground.
They waited there until a rescue bus arrived to take them away from the Guadeloupe River and back to safety.
15 children among 50 dead in Texas floods with little girls still missing'
Whilst the Boyetts made it out of the water, not everyone has been so lucky.
A Texas dad-of-two died while valiantly trying to save his
family
from the floods - after having is arm almost cut "clean off".
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Julian Ryan, 27, was with his family in their trailer home when the surging waters hit.
His mother, fiance Christinia, six-year-old and 13-month-old were all huddled in the bedroom after being shaken awake at 4am on Friday.
Christinia told KHOU: 'It just started pouring in, and we had to fight the door to get it closed to make sure not too much got in."
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Julian Ryan died while trying to help his family escape their trailer during the floods
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His fiance, two children and mother survived
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The two kids were sitting on a floating mattress when the door of the bedroom burst open and water cascaded in.
It was then Ryan took a bold decision to save his family.
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The dad punched a hole in one of the bedroom windows - but the shattered glass severed an artery and almost cut the limb "clean off".
With blood spurting from the wound and emergency crews unable to reach the house, Julian told his family: "I'm sorry, I'm not going to make it. I love y'all."
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The waters continued to rise and the trailer was eventually broken in half - allowing the rest of the family to escape.
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Christinia said: 'He was the best father, and was always such a happy person who was never above helping people, no matter what it cost.
A
It reads: 'Julian gave his life for his family, passing as a true hero. While his family is eternally grateful for his sacrifice, they are shattered by their loss."
Rescuers are still scouring the devastated landscape in central Texas, but hopes of finding survivors are fast dwindling.
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Janie Hunt, 9, also died after floods hit the all-girls Christian summer camp on Friday night
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Best friends Eloise Peck and Lila Bonner were sharing a cabin and both lost their lives
Credit: X/Keenan Willard
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The scene of devastation inside Camp Mystic
Credit: AFP
Larry Leitha, Kerr County sheriff, said on Saturday: "We have recovered 43 deceased individuals in Kerr County.
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"Among these who are deceased we have 28 adults and 15 children."
Multiple people lost their lives in other counties, bringing the current confirmed death toll to 50 - though this is sadly expected to rise.
The most desperate search is for a group of school-age girls who went missing from Camp Mystic - a Christian summer camp near the river.
Heartbreaking photos from the wrecked site show sodden mattresses and teddies strewn across dormitories.
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On Saturday, Sheriff Leitha said 27 of the children were still missing.
'Miracle' survival: Rescued 20 miles downstream
By
A YOUNG woman was miraculously rescued after being swept 20 miles downriver in the Texas floods.
The 22-year-old was scooped up by
from her campsite in Kerr County, Texas by
at 4am, and found clinging to a tree four hours later
.
A third of a year's worth of rain fell in a few hours in the area, creating an "extraordinary disaster", with an enormous search-and-rescue mission still underway.
A Center Point resident, Carl, heard screaming when he stepped into his yard at around 8am on Friday morning.
He spotted the woman clinging to a huge Cyprus tree near Lion's Park Dam as the river thundered beneath her.
She had for been holding on for several hours after a terrifying 20-mile journey down dams and dodging debris.
Emergency calls weren't connecting, so the local resident desperately flagged down a police car for help.
Two
By this time, the water level had receded considerably, so the woman was stranded 12ft above the water's surface.
She was forced to drop into the rescue boat, and was finally brought to safety.
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8 priests respond to Reek Sunday callout as some opt for earlier climb due to All-Ireland clash
8 priests respond to Reek Sunday callout as some opt for earlier climb due to All-Ireland clash

The Journal

timea day ago

  • The Journal

8 priests respond to Reek Sunday callout as some opt for earlier climb due to All-Ireland clash

EIGHT PRIESTS HAVE responded to a callout to help administer sacraments at the top of Croagh Patrick on Reek Sunday. Reek Sunday, also known as Garland Sunday, falls annually on the last Sunday of July but a change in how the GAA operates its county championships is impacting the celebrations for a second year in-a-row. There was already a shortage of celebrants for the occasion this Sunday. And now some pilgrims are opting to begin the traditional climb of the Mayo mountain earlier so that they avoid a clash with the All-Ireland Football final between Donegal and Kerry at 3.30pm. The pilgrimage sees thousands scale Mayo's Croagh Patrick – some barefoot – to celebrate St Patrick. Masses are held at the summit and the Eucharist and confessions are ministered by priests each hour from morning until late afternoon. Confessions will be available from 7.30am. Earlier this month, Administrator of Westport parish, Father John Kenny, issued a callout for priests who have the capacity to make the journey to join him among other clergymen on Croagh Patrick on 27 July. An ageing clergy has created difficulty in sourcing enough priests able to climb the mountain to attend to the thousands that turn out for the pilgrimage. Weekends are also priests' busiest times and it is difficult to find the numbers. Pilgrims atop the mountain in 2006. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Speaking to The Journal , Fr Kenny said eight priests have put their names forward in advance, but that others will turn up on the day. 'We have a core group to look after the pilgrimage, thank God.' Masses will be celebrated hourly in the old church on the top of Croagh Patrick from 8am to 2pm. In years gone by, Masses on top of the mountain would have been held every half hour. Fr Kenny said the main reason for cutting back is the lack of priests being able to take part. However, he added that the second reason was feedback from pilgrims that they liked 'quiet time' on the summit of the mountain as well. 'This means that it wouldn't be just Mass after Mass after Mass… that was a feeling I had myself.' However, there will also be an ecumenical service at 10.30am at the summit, as well as one at 2.30pm at the foot of the mountain. An ecumenical service brings together members of different Christian denominations. Church of Ireland parishes have been invited to attend both these services. 'That's kind of a new feature,' said Fr Kenny, 'and hopefully that will be a feature going forward on the occasional half hour.' Advertisement Meanwhile, Fr Kenny noted that the pilgrimage once more clashes with the All-Ireland Football final. 'People set their alarms earlier as a result and take part earlier, that's a feature in recent times,' said Fr Kenny. 'They still want to do the pilgrimage, but do it earlier than they would normally because of what's going on in Croke Park in the afternoon.' And as for Fr Kenny himself, he acknowledged that the 'logistics are difficult'. 'When I wasn't looking after the logistics I used to get more out of it, to be honest. 'While I'm in charge of the logistics, it can be difficult, but it's always great to witness the faith and witness the people turning out.' Fr Kenny also expressed hope that the pilgrimage can continue for the long-term and said he is 'sure the Lord will provide'. 'I can't tell the future but the perhaps we will have to be a Church in a new way and the ordained ministry will still be part of that, but we won't have the numbers that we used to.' Advice to pilgrims Nurse Marie Lyons of the Mayo Mountain Rescue Team has spent the last 20 Reek Sundays working in the medical tent on Croagh Patrick. She said many patients on Reek Sunday present to the medical tent because of a slip and urged people to wear the correct footwear. While she said ankle support is optional, she recommends people check the sole of the shoe. 'A rubber sole on a shoe, or preferably a boot, with a good grip is the most suitable.' And no matter your fitness levels and regardless of the weather, she reminded people to bring water. ' Every year scores of people ask us for water from the medical tent,' said Lyons. 'At the risk of sounding mean, bring your own! At least one litre, two if you sweat a lot.' She also recommended people take salty food to replace electrolytes and sugary food to sustain your energy. Meanwhile, Lyons note that some pilgrims are 'offering up the hardship for a specific purpose or intention'. 'People are often consumed with making it to the summit but then find it difficult to descend on overly fatigued legs. 'If you are really struggling with severe fatigue on the ascent, and your legs feel wobbly and flat, please do not continue. 'Stop, have a snack, enjoy the people and the scenery and descend. The mountain will stay put until your next visit.' She also reminded pilgrims that 'hypothermia is a real problem' and to be prepared for all weather conditions. She advised to bring a small rucksack with an extra couple of layers and a rain jacket. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal

Expert suspects excavation at Tuam could uncover child trafficking by church
Expert suspects excavation at Tuam could uncover child trafficking by church

Sunday World

timea day ago

  • Sunday World

Expert suspects excavation at Tuam could uncover child trafficking by church

It may point to a child trafficking operation where mothers who had been banished to the homes to have their babies were told their children died TUAM, IRELAND - JULY 7: Tuam campaigner Anna Corrigan who suspects that her two lost brothers may be buried at the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby home site wipes away tears as she attends a media day at the dig site on July 7, 2025 in Tuam, Ireland. From 1925 to 1961, hundreds of children died at the St Mary's Mother and Baby home, a maternity home for unmarried mothers and their children, in Tuam, County Galway. It was run by the Bon Secours order of Catholic nuns, and this type of home was common across Ireland for many decades. Test excavations at the site took place in 2016 and 2017, and a mass burial site was found in a former sewage tank containing the remains of 796 babies and toddlers, ranging in age from 35 foetal weeks to two to three years. (Photo by) Tuam historian Catherine Corless whose painstaking research work brought news of the children's mass grave in Tuam to the world's attention () Baby shoes are pictured at a shrine in Tuam, County Galway in January 13, 2021, erected in memory of up to 800 children who were allegedly buried at the site of the former home for unmarried mothers run by nuns. - Irish prime minister Micheal Martin on Wednesday formally apologised for the treatment of unmarried women and their babies in state and church-run homes, where thousands of children died over decades. Some 9,000 children died in Ireland's "mother and baby homes", where unmarried mothers were routinely separated from their infant offspring, according to an official report published Tuesday. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP) (Photo by PAUL FAITH/AFP via Getty Images) Forensic archaeologist and anthropologist Toni Maguire says the excavation at a mass babies' grave at Tuam could uncover evidence of potential child trafficking by the Catholic Church. The expert says witness evidence states children's remains were wrapped in cloth and left on shelves in the underground tunnel in County Galway. Some of the tiny remains are now on the floor of what's believed to be an old septic tank at the former mother and baby home which could be a result of years of rat activity. Decades after the first discovery of tiny bones on the site, work has finally begun this week to remove and identify the children. Tuam historian Catherine Corless whose painstaking research work brought news of the children's mass grave in Tuam to the world's attention () Toni, who has been at the centre of locating remains in Milltown Cemetery of children from mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland, met with Galway historian Catherine Corless, whose discovery of 796 death certificates uncovered the Tuam scandal. There were no burial records for the dead children, but an incident in the 1970s, when local woman Mary Moriarty fell into the tunnel following the discovery of infant bones by two young boys, confirmed there were remains underground. 'It's absolutely macabre,' says Toni. 'When Mary Moriarty fell into the tunnel she said it was like a scene from Indiana Jones. There were bones everywhere. 'On the shelves there were bundles of what looked like dirty rags. They were using this place like a crypt. 'What you potentially have are individual babies wrapped in cloth and they just stacked them. 'The bones on the floor were indicators of uncoffined burials and rodent activity.' The expert says the painstaking work could uncover more remains. A sample of bones taken from the former site of the St Mary's mother and baby home run by the Bon Secours sisters was of a seven-and-a-half-month-old fetus which would not have had a birth certificate, and therefore no corresponding death certificate to find and include with the 796. But it could also uncover fewer remains, pointing to a child trafficking operation where unmarried mothers who had been banished to the homes to have their babies were told their children had died. The Tuam home operated from 1925 until 1961. Campaigner Toni Maguire. News in 90 Seconds - July 26th 'There is the potential for that,' says Toni. 'If they say 1,000 babies died, and I'm only finding 750, where are the other 250? 'If you were a young mum who came back looking for your baby and you're told it had died you stop looking. One inspector's report for Mother and Baby Homes in the south said babies had a better chance in a hedgerow than in a mother and baby home, but is that the case or was the high death rate a potential cover for babies being adopted elsewhere?' Toni, who has given evidence to a Stormont committee as part of the upcoming inquiry into Northern Ireland's mother and baby homes scandal, which involved more than 10,000 women and girls, says there was widespread movement of pregnant women from south to north to have their babies. 'Babies born in the north were British citizens entitled to birth certificates and passports. In the south illegitimate babies were not entitled to all their documentation. 'Moving people across different legal jurisdictions makes it easier to lose track of them for the purpose of anyone looking for them later. 'They can say there is no record of your birth, because there wouldn't be. That baby was born in a different country.' She got copies of the baptism register for the Marianvale home in Newry which showed mothers were from Bessborough mother and baby home in Cork, from Derry and from England. 'One entry in the book said this baby is going to be recorded in the Diocese of Cincinnati. It wasn't going to be recorded as a British citizen. It was going to be moved to America and recorded there. 'It was potentially people trafficking.' The expert says remains recovered from the Tuam site could reveal the cause of death among the hundreds of infants. Children in mother and baby homes, north and south, had a much higher death rate than in the general population. 'If you look at a lot of the death certificates there are a disproportionate number which record marasmus, which is malnutrition. 'Inspectors who visited these home said the children were emaciated. 'The evidence from the bones themselves will depend on the state of preservation.' After the scandal of the Tuam babies broke, the Bon Secours sisters acknowledged the order had failed to protect the 'inherent dignity' of the women and children in the home, and in 2021 Taoiseach Micheál Martin apologised on behalf of the state. Toni, who helped secure historian Catherine's first meeting with Galway County Council, says it also bears responsibility for Tuam. 'I stated at that first meeting with Galway Council this is Catherine's research and I'm not here to step on her toes, however I did mention to them that private cemetery status doesn't apply to Tuam because the Bon Secours sisters didn't own Tuam, they only leased it. 'Theoretically Galway County Council's duty was to ensure any burials complied with regulations at that time.' Following her work at Milltown Cemetery, Toni is backing an Alliance bill at Stormont to bring all of Northern Ireland's private cemeteries including those attached to institutions under the same regulations as public graveyards by removing private cemetery status.

Brit survivor of Air India disaster tormented by nightmares where ‘everyone dies' and ‘won't speak' about horror crash
Brit survivor of Air India disaster tormented by nightmares where ‘everyone dies' and ‘won't speak' about horror crash

The Irish Sun

time20-07-2025

  • The Irish Sun

Brit survivor of Air India disaster tormented by nightmares where ‘everyone dies' and ‘won't speak' about horror crash

AIR India's sole crash survivor has nightmares where "everyone dies," and won't speak about the horror he went through, his family said. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, walked away with cuts and chest injuries after the 10 Vishwash Ramesh, the sole survivor of the Air India crash, posing for the first time since the disaster Credit: Dan Charity 10 Vishwash crawled through a hole in the wreckage and walked to an ambulance Credit: Reuters 10 Vishwash Ramesh is in a hospital a mile from where Air India flight 171 crashed Credit: HT Photo Despite being dubbed the "miracle man" and a "symbol of hope" in the country, the Brit still lies His cousin Krunal Keshave, 24, from Leicester, says he manages to sleep, but not properly. He told 'He remembers seeing everyone die in front of his eyes.' Read more on Air India crash Vishwash decided to stay in India to recover at his family home in Bucharwada hamlet in Diu, instead of going back to London or Leicester. He had been sitting in seat 11A, next to an emergency exit, and managed to His brother Ajay, 35, who was on the opposite side of the aisle in seat 11J, was among the 241 passengers who perished. 'He sees him [Ajay] everywhere,' said Keshave. Most read in The Sun 'He speaks but he doesn't speak about the crash. His wife and his son [who is four] are there with him, supporting him. Air India captain 'deliberately cut off fuel while staying eerily calm before crash 10 'He is currently trying to have a normal life, but he is not going out too much. 'He is spending time at home with the family. He was living in the house in Diu with his brother before the crash.' The miracle survivor 'Everything was visible in front of my eyes when the crash happened. 'I too thought that I was about to die, but then I opened my eyes and realised that I was still alive,' Vishwash said. 'It's a miracle I survived. I am OK physically but I feel terrible that I could not save Ajay. 'If we had been sat together we both might have survived. I tried to get two seats together but someone had already got one.' The pair had been returning to Leicester after the end of the fishing season at their family business in Diu. Their plan was simple: fly back to the UK on June 12 ahead of the monsoon. But the flight never made it. Moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport, Flight AI171 lost altitude and smashed into a medical college hostel. A total of 241 passengers and crew plus 19 people on the ground were killed in the tragedy, including 52 Brits. The crash has become one of the deadliest involving British citizens in recent memory. Investigators are now zeroing in on a chilling twist in the cockpit. 10 Vishwash walked away from the disaster with just a few cuts and chest injuries Credit: Twitter 10 Thick black smoke rising from a residential area after Air India flight 171 crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12 Credit: AFP 10 The tail of Air India flight 171 after it crashed in a residential area near the airport Credit: AFP 10 Vishwash, left, and his brother Ajaykumar Ramesh, 35, had been in India on a business trip According to flight data reviewed by US investigators, captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, may have A preliminary summary of the black-box recording reportedly captures co-pilot Clive Kunder asking, 'Why did you cut off?', to which Sabharwal eerily replies, 'I didn't.' But the switches were flipped off one second apart and then turned back on ten seconds later — too late to restart the engines. It comes after reports the captain In Vishwash's case, surviving has become its own form of torment. 'He feels guilty that he is the only one to have lived when everybody else, including his brother, died. It's a lot to live with,' another relative told The Sunday Times. Key findings of Air India preliminary crash report Dual engine shutdown - fuel cutoff switches moved from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' Confusion between pilots - cockpit audio confirms one pilot asked 'why did you cut off', the other replied 'I didn't' RAT deployed - as seen in CCTV footage before the crash, the ram air turbine (RAT) which acts as a backup power source in case of emergencies had deployed Engine relight attempted - fuel switches were found returned to 'RUN' at crash site 32 seconds - the time the aircraft was airborne before it crashed Thrust levers mismatch - Thrust levers found at idle but black box data shows takeoff thrust was still engaged Fuel test pass - fuel was clean without any contamination Normal take-off set-up - Flaps and landing gear correctly configured No bird activity - clear skies, good visibility, light winds Pilot credentials clear - both medically fit and rested No sabotage detected - although FAA alerted over a known fuel switch vulnerability not checked by Air India Aircraft loading - the flight was within weight and balance limits After escaping the burning wreckage, Vishwash reportedly 'My family member is in there, my brother and he's burning to death. I have to save him,' he pleaded with emergency workers. Rescuer Satinder Singh Sandhu recalled: 'He was very disoriented and shocked and was limping. 'There was also blood on his face, but he was able to speak. 'He told the paramedics that he was flying to London when the plane fell and that he wanted to go back to save his family.' Doctors who treated him at Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital said he was stable despite his physical wounds. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited him during his five-day stay in hospital before he was discharged and returned home. Vishwash has since returned to the family's coastal village of Diu, where he is trying to recover with the support of his wife Hiral, their young son, and his extended family. 10 India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) meeting with Vishwash Kumar Ramesh at a hospital in Ahmedabad Credit: AFP 10 The Sun the met Vishwash at his family home in the coastal village of Diu Credit: Dan Charity

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