Teen counselor killed after Texas flood tore through Christian camp ‘she loved so dearly' had heartbreaking wish for summer
Chloe Childress, 19, and at least 26 other campers and counselors from Camp Mystic — an all-girls summer camp in Hunt — died when the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in less than an hour early Friday morning, killing at least 82 people in the surrounding community.
'Returning as a counselor to the place she loved so dearly, Chloe was looking forward to dedicating her summer days to loving and mentoring young girls at Camp Mystic,' her heartbroken family said in a statement.
The Houston teen, who had arrived at the camp just days before, 'lived a beautiful life that saturated those around her with contagious joy, unending grace, and abiding faith,' they added.
4 Chloe Childress, a Camp Mystic counselor, was killed in this weekend's historic flooding in Texas.
VSCO/Chloe Childress
4 Childress was planning to attend the University of Texas at Austin this fall.
VSCO/Chloe Childress
'While we know that her joy is now eternal and her faith has become sight, our hearts are shattered by this loss and the similar heartbreak of other families like ours.'
Childress was the co-president of the honor council at The Kinkaid School, her high school, ran varsity cross country and founded a club devoted to helping senior citizens, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The recent graduate 'lost her life upholding this selfless and fierce commitment to others,' Head of School Jonathan Eades said in a statement, according to ABC News.
'A loyal and beloved friend to all who knew her, Chloe led with empathy. Her honesty gave others the courage to speak up. Her resilience helped others push through. Her joy, so present in all the little things, reminded all who knew her to keep showing up with heart,' he said.
4 Childress's family remembered Chloe for her 'joy' and faith.
VSCO/Chloe Childress
4 Childress was among the 27 confirmed Camp Mystic campers and counselors killed this weekend.
VSCO/Chloe Childress
She was due to attend the University of Texas at Austin in the fall.
The catastrophic flooding has left more than 100 dead and many still missing, according to local officials. Most of the deaths were reported in Kerr County, north of San Antonio.
The river reached its second-highest height on record, surpassing an eerily similar 1987 deluge, according to the National Weather Service.
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San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Texas inspectors approved Camp Mystic's disaster plan 2 days before deadly flood, records show
HUNT, Texas (AP) — Texas inspectors signed off on Camp Mystic's emergency planning just two days before catastrophic flooding killed more than two dozen people at the all-girls Christian summer camp, most of them children. The Department of State Health Services released records Tuesday showing the camp complied with a host of state regulations regarding 'procedures to be implemented in case of a disaster.' Among them: instructing campers what to do if they need to evacuate and assigning specific duties to each staff member and counselor. Five years of inspection reports released to The Associated Press do not offer any details of those plans at Mystic, raising new questions about the camp's preparedness ahead of the torrential July 4 rainfall in flood-prone Texas Hill Country. The National Weather Service had issued a flood watch for the area on July 3 at 1:18 p.m. That danger prompted at least one of the roughly 18 camps along the Guadalupe River to move dozens of campers to higher ground. The uncertainty about what happened at Mystic comes as local officials have repeatedly dodged questions about who was monitoring the weather and what measures were taken ahead of the flooding. Tragedy falls on the historic camp Camp Mystic, established in 1926, did not evacuate and was especially hard hit when the river rose from 14 feet (4.2 meters) to 29.5 feet (9 meters) within 60 minutes in the early morning hours of the disaster. Flooding on that stretch of the Guadalupe starts at about 10 feet (3 meters). A wall of water overwhelmed people in cabins, tents and trailers along the river's edge. Some survivors were found clinging to trees. At least 27 campers and counselors died during the floods, and officials said Tuesday that five campers and one counselor have still not been found. Among the dead was Richard 'Dick' Eastland, the camp's beloved director described by campers as a father figure. Charlotte Lauten, 19, spent nine summers at Camp Mystic, mostly recently in 2023. She said she didn't recall ever receiving instructions as a camper on what do in the case of a weather emergency. 'I do know that the counselors go through orientation training for a week before camp starts," she said. "They do brief them on all those types of things.' One thing that likely hindered the girls' ability to escape was how dark it would have been, Lauten said. Campers don't have access to their phones while at camp, she said, adding they wouldn't have cell service anyway because of the remote location. 'This is the middle of nowhere and they didn't have power," she said. 'It would have been pitch black, like could not see 5 feet in front of you type of darkness. I've never seen stars like there because there's just no light.' Inspections found no issues The state inspected Camp Mystic on July 2, the same day the Texas Division of Emergency Management activated emergency response resources ahead of the anticipated flooding. The inspection found no deficiencies or violations at the camp in a long list of health and safety criteria. The camp had 557 campers and more than 100 staffers at the time between its Guadalupe and Cypress Lake locations. The disaster plans are required to be posted in all camp buildings but aren't filed with the state, said Lara Anton, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services. 'We do not have them,' Anton wrote in an email. 'You'd have to get it from the camp.' Camp Mystic did not respond to requests for comment on its emergency plan. In a statement on its website, the camp said it has been 'in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls.' Camp Mystic notes that it is licensed by the state and a member of the Camping Association for Mutual Progress, which says its goal is to 'raise health and safety standards' for summer camps. Leaders of that association didn't return messages. The American Camp Association said Tuesday that Camp Mystic is not accredited with that organization, whose standards focus on safety and risk management. Spokesperson Lauren McMillin declined to say whether the camp previously had been accredited with the association, which describes itself as 'the only nationwide accrediting organization for all year-round and summer camps.' Authorities review rain and river gauges One rain gauge about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from Camp Mystic recorded 9.5 inches (24 centimeters) of precipitation July 4, according to Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority data. Another of the agency's gauges — further south and to the west — recorded 12.2 inches (31 centimeters) of precipitation. The authority told the AP that a review of its equipment found both were functioning during the flood event. However, at least four United States Geological Survey gauges along the Guadalupe River experienced some level of failure July 4. The gauges, located near Hunt and Kerrville, stopped collecting both river levels and the flow rate of water in the early morning hours of July 4. One gauge, about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) east of Hunt and 5 miles (8 kilometers) northeast of Camp Mystic, recorded a level of 29.5 feet (9 meters) at 4:35 a.m. on July 4, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data. It was the last recorded river level from the instrumentation until a USGS hydrologist installed a temporary gauge. At the time, the hydrologist measured the high water mark at 37.52 feet (11.44 meters), a preliminary estimate that could change. At that location, a river level of 32 feet (9.75 meters) could lead to 'disastrous life-threatening flooding,' which could cover the roads of the lowest camps and resorts, according to NOAA. ___ This story has been updated to correct that the rain gauge that recorded 9.5 inches (24 centimeters) of precipitation was about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from Camp Mystic, not 1,500 feet (460 meters). ___
Hamilton Spectator
4 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Faith-based camps like those hit by Texas floods are rite of passage for many. They're now grieving
Texas' catastrophic flooding hit faith-based summer camps especially hard, and the heartbreak is sweeping across the country where similar camps mark a rite of passage and a crucial faith experience for millions of children and teens. 'Camp is such a unique experience that you just instantly empathize,' said Rachael Botting of the tragedy that struck Camp Mystic , the century-old all-girls Christian summer camp where at least 27 people were killed. A search was underway for more than 160 missing people in the area filled with youth camps as the overall death toll passed 100 on Tuesday. Botting, a former Christian camp counselor, is a Wheaton College expert on the role camp plays in young people's faith formation. 'I do plan to send my boys to Christian summer camps. It is a nonnegotiable for us,' added the mother of three children under 4. Generations of parents and children have felt the same about the approximately 3,000 faith-based summer camps across the country. That is because for many campers, and young camp counselors, they are crucial independence milestones — the first time away from family or with a job away from home, said Robert Lubeznik-Warner, a University of Utah youth development researcher. Experts say camps offer the opportunity to try skills and social situations for the first time while developing a stronger sense of self — and to do so in the safety of communities sharing the same values. Camp rules: Do good and keep the faith After the floodwaters rampaged through Camp Mystic, authorities and families have been combing through the wreckage strewed between the cabins and the riverbank. On Sunday, a man there carried a wood sign similar to those seen hanging outside the door of several buildings. It read: 'Do Good. Do No Harm. Keep Falling In Love With Jesus.' For generations, these Texas campers have been challenged to master quintessential summer activities from crafts to swimming while also growing in spiritual practices. Campers and counselors shared devotionals after breakfast, before bed and on Sunday mornings along the banks of the Guadalupe River, according to Camp Mystic's brochure and website. They sang songs, listened to Scripture and attended Bible studies, too. How big of a role faith has in the camp experience varies, Botting said. There are Christian camps where even canoeing outings are discussed as metaphors for spiritual journeys, others that aim to insert more religious activities like reading the Bible into children's routines, and some that simply seek to give people a chance to encounter Jesus. The religious emphasis also varies at Jewish camps, which span traditions from Orthodox to Reform. Activities range from daily Torah readings to yoga, said Jamie Simon, who leads the Foundation for Jewish Camp. The group supports 300 camps across North America, with about 200,000 young people involved this summer alone. What they all have in common is a focus on building self-esteem as well as positive Jewish communities and identities — all particularly important as many struggle with antisemitism as well as the loneliness and mental health barriers common across all youth, Simon said. At Seneca Hills Bible Camp and Retreat Center in Pennsylvania, there is archery, basketball and volleyball for summer campers, but also daily chapel, listening to missionaries and taking part in Bible study or hearing a Bible story depending on their age, which ranges from 5 to 18-year-olds. 'There's a whole host of activities, but really the focus for camp is building relationships with one another and encouraging the kids' relationships with God,' said camp executive director Lindon Fowler. For many, participating in the same summer camp is also a generational tradition. Children are sent to the same place as their parents and grandparents to be around people who share the same value system in ways they can't often experience in their local communities. A taste of faith, wilderness and independence for more than two centuries Because of their emphasis on independence and spending time away from family, summer camps in general have been especially popular in North America, Lubeznik-Warner said. In the United States, faith-based summer camps date back to two parallel movements in the 19th century — the revivalist religious gatherings in tents and the 'fresh-air movement' after the industrial revolution — and boomed after World War II, Botting said. Particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, as questions about children's dependence on technology have surged, interest has grown in summer camps as 'places where kids can really unplug, where kids can be kids,' Botting said. Many parents like that camp can disconnect their children from their devices. 'We're interested in campers hearing similar messages that they're going to get at home or in their church or their faith communities,' Fowler said. He added: 'I think they can hear … the meaning of things more clearly while they're at camp' and away from distractions. For Rob Ribbe, who teaches outdoors leadership at Wheaton College's divinity school, all the elements of camp have biblical resonance. 'God uses times away, in community, often in creation … as a way to shape and form us, and help us to know him,' Ribbe said. Summer camp challenges: Safety protocols and determination There are faith-related challenges, too. As children explore their identities and establish bonds outside their families, many programs have been wrestling with how to strike a balance between holding on to their denominations' teachings while remaining welcoming, especially on issues of gender and sexuality, Botting said. Rising costs are also a pressing issue. Historically, camps have been particularly popular among middle to upper-income families who can afford fees in the thousands of dollars for residential camps. And then there is safety — whether in terms of potential abuse, with many church denominations marred by recent scandals, or the inherent risks of the outdoors. In Texas' case, controversy is mounting over preparedness and official alerts for the natural disaster. Every summer, hundreds of thousands of parents trust Brad Barnett and his team to keep their children safe — physically and spiritually — at the dozens of summer camps run by Lifeway Christian Resources. Barnett, director of camp ministry, said already his staff has shared personal connections to Camp Mystic: One staff member's daughter was an alum; another's went to the same day camp with a girl who died in the flood; and a former staff member taught at the high school of a counselor who died. But the tragedy is also informing their work as they provide yet another week of Christian summer camp experiences for children across the country. 'That's the punch in the gut for us,' he said. 'We know that there's an implicit promise that we're going to keep your kid safe, and so to not be able to deliver on that and the loss of life, it's just so tragic and felt by so many.' Experts say camp staff are likely to double down on best practices to respond to emergencies and keep their campers safe in the aftermath of the Texas floods. 'It's, truly, truly heartbreaking for the whole community of Christian camping,' said Gregg Hunter, president of Christian Camp and Conference Association, which serves about 850 member camps catering to about 7 million campers a year. But the positive and often lifelong impacts on children's confidence and faith identity are so powerful that many leaders expressed hope the tragedy wouldn't discourage children from trying it. 'It's where my life took a dramatic turn from being a young, obnoxious, rebellious teenager,' Hunter said. 'My camp experience introduced me to so many things, including to my faith, an opportunity, an option to enter into a relationship with God.' Simon, a former camper and camp leader, said she is happy her son is currently at camp — even though there is a river by it. 'I wouldn't want him to be anywhere else,' she said. ___ Associated Press writers Jim Vertuno and Holly Meyer contributed. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
San Francisco Chronicle
4 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Faith-based camps like those hit by Texas floods are rite of passage for many. They're now grieving
Texas' catastrophic flooding hit faith-based summer camps especially hard, and the heartbreak is sweeping across the country where similar camps mark a rite of passage and a crucial faith experience for millions of children and teens. 'Camp is such a unique experience that you just instantly empathize,' said Rachael Botting of the tragedy that struck Camp Mystic, the century-old all-girls Christian summer camp where at least 27 people were killed. A search was underway for more than 160 missing people in the area filled with youth camps as the overall death toll passed 100 on Tuesday. Botting, a former Christian camp counselor, is a Wheaton College expert on the role camp plays in young people's faith formation. 'I do plan to send my boys to Christian summer camps. It is a nonnegotiable for us,' added the mother of three children under 4. Generations of parents and children have felt the same about the approximately 3,000 faith-based summer camps across the country. That is because for many campers, and young camp counselors, they are crucial independence milestones — the first time away from family or with a job away from home, said Robert Lubeznik-Warner, a University of Utah youth development researcher. Experts say camps offer the opportunity to try skills and social situations for the first time while developing a stronger sense of self — and to do so in the safety of communities sharing the same values. After the floodwaters rampaged through Camp Mystic, authorities and families have been combing through the wreckage strewed between the cabins and the riverbank. On Sunday, a man there carried a wood sign similar to those seen hanging outside the door of several buildings. It read: 'Do Good. Do No Harm. Keep Falling In Love With Jesus." For generations, these Texas campers have been challenged to master quintessential summer activities from crafts to swimming while also growing in spiritual practices. Campers and counselors shared devotionals after breakfast, before bed and on Sunday mornings along the banks of the Guadalupe River, according to Camp Mystic's brochure and website. They sang songs, listened to Scripture and attended Bible studies, too. How big of a role faith has in the camp experience varies, Botting said. There are Christian camps where even canoeing outings are discussed as metaphors for spiritual journeys, others that aim to insert more religious activities like reading the Bible into children's routines, and some that simply seek to give people a chance to encounter Jesus. The religious emphasis also varies at Jewish camps, which span traditions from Orthodox to Reform. Activities range from daily Torah readings to yoga, said Jamie Simon, who leads the Foundation for Jewish Camp. The group supports 300 camps across North America, with about 200,000 young people involved this summer alone. What they all have in common is a focus on building self-esteem as well as positive Jewish communities and identities — all particularly important as many struggle with antisemitism as well as the loneliness and mental health barriers common across all youth, Simon said. At Seneca Hills Bible Camp and Retreat Center in Pennsylvania, there is archery, basketball and volleyball for summer campers, but also daily chapel, listening to missionaries and taking part in Bible study or hearing a Bible story depending on their age, which ranges from 5 to 18-year-olds. 'There's a whole host of activities, but really the focus for camp is building relationships with one another and encouraging the kids' relationships with God,' said camp executive director Lindon Fowler. For many, participating in the same summer camp is also a generational tradition. Children are sent to the same place as their parents and grandparents to be around people who share the same value system in ways they can't often experience in their local communities. A taste of faith, wilderness and independence for more than two centuries Because of their emphasis on independence and spending time away from family, summer camps in general have been especially popular in North America, Lubeznik-Warner said. In the United States, faith-based summer camps date back to two parallel movements in the 19th century — the revivalist religious gatherings in tents and the 'fresh-air movement' after the industrial revolution — and boomed after World War II, Botting said. Particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, as questions about children's dependence on technology have surged, interest has grown in summer camps as 'places where kids can really unplug, where kids can be kids,' Botting said. Many parents like that camp can disconnect their children from their devices. 'We're interested in campers hearing similar messages that they're going to get at home or in their church or their faith communities,' Fowler said. He added: 'I think they can hear … the meaning of things more clearly while they're at camp" and away from distractions. For Rob Ribbe, who teaches outdoors leadership at Wheaton College's divinity school, all the elements of camp have biblical resonance. 'God uses times away, in community, often in creation … as a way to shape and form us, and help us to know him,' Ribbe said. Summer camp challenges: Safety protocols and determination There are faith-related challenges, too. As children explore their identities and establish bonds outside their families, many programs have been wrestling with how to strike a balance between holding on to their denominations' teachings while remaining welcoming, especially on issues of gender and sexuality, Botting said. Rising costs are also a pressing issue. Historically, camps have been particularly popular among middle to upper-income families who can afford fees in the thousands of dollars for residential camps. And then there is safety — whether in terms of potential abuse, with many church denominations marred by recent scandals, or the inherent risks of the outdoors. In Texas' case, controversy is mounting over preparedness and official alerts for the natural disaster. Every summer, hundreds of thousands of parents trust Brad Barnett and his team to keep their children safe — physically and spiritually — at the dozens of summer camps run by Lifeway Christian Resources. Barnett, director of camp ministry, said already his staff has shared personal connections to Camp Mystic: One staff member's daughter was an alum; another's went to the same day camp with a girl who died in the flood; and a former staff member taught at the high school of a counselor who died. But the tragedy is also informing their work as they provide yet another week of Christian summer camp experiences for children across the country. 'That's the punch in the gut for us,' he said. 'We know that there's an implicit promise that we're going to keep your kid safe, and so to not be able to deliver on that and the loss of life, it's just so tragic and felt by so many.' Experts say camp staff are likely to double down on best practices to respond to emergencies and keep their campers safe in the aftermath of the Texas floods. 'It's, truly, truly heartbreaking for the whole community of Christian camping,' said Gregg Hunter, president of Christian Camp and Conference Association, which serves about 850 member camps catering to about 7 million campers a year. But the positive and often lifelong impacts on children's confidence and faith identity are so powerful that many leaders expressed hope the tragedy wouldn't discourage children from trying it. 'It's where my life took a dramatic turn from being a young, obnoxious, rebellious teenager,' Hunter said. 'My camp experience introduced me to so many things, including to my faith, an opportunity, an option to enter into a relationship with God.' Simon, a former camper and camp leader, said she is happy her son is currently at camp — even though there is a river by it. 'I wouldn't want him to be anywhere else,' she said. ___
