Devastating Texas River Flood Kills at Least 24 With 2 Dozen Girls at Christian Summer Camp Missing as Identities od Some Begin to Emerge
Authorities have not yet shared the names of those killed, and officials warn that the final death toll could surge substantially as the floodwaters begin to recede. The identities of some of the missing have begun to emerge as heartbroken families share photos of their loved ones, hoping for news about where they might be.
Swept to Their Death
"That does not mean they've been lost. They could be in a tree. They could be out of communication. We're praying for all those missing to be found alive," Patrick said. The all-girls overnight camp was evacuated during the night after the area was drenched with up to 10 inches of rain, but some campers were unable to make it out in time.
"There's still several people unaccounted for right now, at this point, but we're working really hard. And we're going to continue. This is probably going to be a couple of day process," Kerr County Sheriff Larry L. Leitha warned.
Several cabins in the al-girls camp were reportedly flooded, while others were swept away entirely, and nearby roads were heavily damaged or washed out.
Some of the children have been found but remain stranded, while an estimated 23 out of the 750 campers at Camp Mystic are still missing, according to Patrick.
He added that around 500 rescue workers and 18 helicopters are currently searching the region for survivors. Earlier on Friday, the state also sent in 40 helicopters, 12 drones, and nine specialized dive and rescue teams to help with the efforts.
"I want all of you to know we will do everything humanly possible. Twenty-four-seven, looking at every tree, turning over every rock, whatever it takes — if your child is one of those truly missing and not just out of touch — to find your daughter," Patrick vowed.
Parents Waiting Impatiently
Camp staff emailed families to inform them about the tragedy, noting that the camp had lost electricity, running water, and internet access. "If you have not been personally contacted, then your daughter is accounted for," said the horrifying email, obtained by KSAT.
"We are working with search and rescue currently. The highway has washed away so we are struggling to get more help."
Camp Mystic is a Christian summer camp for girls aged 7 to 17, located in Hunt.
Patrick advised parents to avoid rushing to the camp due to hazardous conditions but assured them that buses would transport the rescued girls to reunite with their families as soon as they are found.
Children at other nearby camps were also accounted for. Camp La Junta, an all-boys camp near the same lake when the flooding began, shared on Instagram that all its campers were "safe and accounted for."
However, Patrick admitted that some of the missing children may be among the young victims found during the ongoing search and rescue efforts.
Several bodies, both adults and children, were found on Friday—some inside vehicles and others carried away by the river.
State authorities have not released an official death count, as the numbers are expected to change as more missing people are located.
According to the Austin American-Statesman, at least six deaths have been confirmed so far.
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Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Search teams scour Texas flood zone for dozens missing; 78 confirmed dead
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox People look at the Guadalupe river, following flash flooding, as they gather after receiving a SMS alerting on potential floods in the area, in Kerrville, Texas, U.S. July 6, 2025. REUTERS/Marco Bello KERRVILLE, Texas - Search teams plodded through mud-laden riverbanks and flew aircraft over the flood-stricken landscape of central Texas for a fourth day on Monday, looking for dozens of people still missing from a disaster that has claimed at least 78 lives. The bulk of the death toll from Friday's flash floods was concentrated in the riverfront Hill Country Texas town of Kerrville, accounting for 68 of the dead, including 28 children, according to Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha. The Guadalupe River, transformed by predawn torrential downpours into a raging, killer torrent in less than hour, runs directly through Kerrville. 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Singapore Construction starts on Cross Island Line Phase 2; 6 MRT stations in S'pore's west ready by 2032 Singapore New SkillsFuture requirements from April 2026 to mandate regular training for adult educators Singapore MPs should not ask questions to 'clock numbers'; focus should be improving S'poreans' lives: Seah Kian Peng Singapore Sequencing and standards: Indranee on role of Leader of the House Asia Australian woman found guilty of all counts in mushroom murders case Singapore askST Jobs: Facing intrusive demands from your employer? Here's what you can do Singapore NUS College draws 10,000 applications for 400 places, showing strong liberal arts interest Singapore Life After... blazing biomedical research trail in S'pore: Renowned scientist breaks new ground at 59 Authorities also warned that continued rainfall - even if lighter than Friday's deluge - could unleash additional flash floods because the landscape was so saturated. 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"It's hot, there's mud, they're moving debris, there's snakes," Martin said during a news briefing on Sunday. Thomas Suelzar, adjutant general of the Texas Military Department, said airborne search assets included eight helicopters and a remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper aircraft equipped with advanced sensors for surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Officials said on Saturday that more than 850 people had been rescued, some clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 15 inches (38 cm) of rain across the region, about 85 miles (140 km) northwest of San Antonio. In addition to the 68 lives lost in Kerr County, three died in Burnet County, one in Tom Green County, five in Travis County and one in Williamson County, according to Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. 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AsiaOne
6 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Death toll from Texas floods reaches 78; Trump plans visit, World News
HUNT, Texas — The death toll from catastrophic floods in Texas reached at least 78 on Sunday (July 6), including 28 children, as the search for girls missing from a summer camp continued and fears of more flooding prompted evacuations of volunteer responders. Larry Leitha, sheriff of Kerr County in Texas Hill Country, said 68 people had died in flooding in his county, the epicentre of the flooding, among them 28 children. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, speaking at a press conference on Sunday afternoon, said another 10 had died elsewhere in Texas and confirmed 41 were missing. President Donald Trump sent his condolences to the victims and said he would probably visit the area on Friday. His administration had been in touch with Abbott, he added. "It's a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible. So we say, God bless all of the people that have gone through so much, and God bless, God bless the state of Texas," he told reporters as he left New Jersey. 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Scaling back federal disaster response Trump has previously outlined plans to scale back the federal government's role in responding to natural disasters, leaving states to shoulder more of the burden themselves. Some experts questioned whether cuts to the federal workforce by the Trump administration, including to the agency that oversees the National Weather Service, led to a failure by officials to accurately predict the severity of the floods and issue appropriate warnings ahead of the storm. Trump's administration has overseen thousands of job cuts from the National Weather Service's parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, leaving many weather offices understaffed, former NOAA director Rick Spinrad said. Spinrad said he did not know if those staff cuts factored into the lack of advance warning for the extreme Texas flooding, but that they would inevitably degrade the agency's ability to deliver accurate and timely forecasts. 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Straits Times
7 hours ago
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Texas flood victims: What we know
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The death toll is expected to rise, and forecasters warn of more rain on July 6 in areas that were already hard hit. The flash flooding on the Guadalupe River in central Texas has killed at least 79 people. Local officials in Kerr County said on July 6 that 10 girls and one counselor from Camp Mystic, an all-girls' Christian summer camp, are still missing. On July 6, near the bank of the Guadalupe River in Ingram, the search for survivors grew more desperate as volunteers prepared horses to help search and rescue efforts. Flood damage made it difficult for vehicles to reach many areas. The death toll is expected to rise, and forecasters warn of more rain on July 6 in areas that were already hard hit. Here's what we know about those who were killed. Chloe Childress Ms Chloe Childress, 18, a counselor at Camp Mystic, died when floodwaters swept through the camp, according to the school she had recently graduated from. Mr Jonathan Eades, head of school at the Kinkaid School in Houston, wrote in a statement that Ms Childress lost her life upholding a 'selfless and fierce commitment to others'. 'She was wise beyond her years, with a steady compassion that settled a room,' he wrote. '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.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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Mr Eastland and his wife Tweety have run the nearly century-old Christian summer camp on the banks of the Guadalupe for decades. He was reportedly swept away while trying to rescue children from rising floodwaters. 'If he wasn't going to die of natural causes, this was the only other way, saving the girls that he so loved and cared for,' Mr Eastland's grandson George wrote on Instagram. 'That's the man my grandfather was. A husband, father, grandfather, and mentor to thousands of young women, he no longer walks this earth, but his impact will never leave the lives he touched.' Julian Ryan Exhausted from a long night working as a dishwasher at a local restaurant, Mr Julian Ryan, 27, was asleep in his trailer home in Ingram, Texas, when the river reached his front door on July 4 before dawn. By the time he and his fiancee Christinia Wilson woke up, water was up to their ankles. His mother Marilyn Ryan and his 6-year-old son had already rushed into the room for safety. In what seemed like a blink, Ms Wilson said, the water was up to their waists; their front door had burst open and the river had gushed into the house. Their mattress began to float, so they placed their 13-month-old son and the 6-year-old atop it. The bedroom door was stuck shut from the water pressure on the other side. In a panic, Mr Ryan tried to punch through a window so they could escape. But the sharp glass cut nearly through his arm, causing him to bleed profusely, Ms Wilson and Ms Marilyn Ryan said on July 5 in a phone interview. They called 911 again and again, but no one came, both women said. With the water rising to their chins, the women shouted for help as Mr Ryan started to lose consciousness, they said. 'He had lost so much blood and knew he wasn't going to make it,' Ms Wilson said. 'He said, 'I love you. I'm so sorry.' In minutes, he was gone.' Ms Wilson said the trailer was torn in half by the force of the water, yet everyone in the family but Julian survived. 'He was the best father, and was always such a happy person who was never above helping people, no matter what it cost,' she said. 'He died trying to save us.' Blair and Brooke Harber Two young sisters, Blair and Brooke Harber, were staying in a cabin along the Guadalupe with their grandparents when their cabin was washed away, according to the Reverend Joshua J. Whitfield, the pastor of their Dallas church, St Rita Catholic Community. Blair, 13, was headed to eighth grade at St Rita's school. Brooke, 11, was bound for sixth grade there. Both girls died and their grandparents are still missing, the pastor said on July 5 in a letter to parishioners. Their parents – Ms Annie Harber, a first and second grade instructional specialist at St Rita's, and Mr RJ Harber – were staying in another cabin and are safe, he said. 'In moments like this, we are reminded of life's fragility and the lasting power of faith,' Mr Whitfield wrote, adding, 'we will honor Blair and Brooke's lives, the light they shared, and the joy they brought to everyone who knew them'. A prayer service for the girls was held at the church on the afternoon of July 5. A photo of the service shows a packed house. Katheryn Eads Ms Katheryn Eads, 52, died after being swept away in the floodwaters, her husband Brian Eads said in a brief phone call July 5. The couple were awakened by rushing water surrounding them inside their recreational vehicle, Mr Eads said. They managed to get out, and a man driving another RV offered them a ride. They made it across the street when the vehicle they were in died, Mr Eads said. The couple was swept out of the truck by water. Mr Eads said he was struck in the head by debris and lost track of his wife. He survived by holding onto a tree until he reached dry land, he said. Sarah Marsh Sarah Marsh, an 8-year-old student at Cherokee Bend Elementary in Mountain Brook, Alabama, was one of the campers at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas. In a statement posted online, Mr Stewart Welch, the mayor of Mountain Brook, a suburb of Birmingham, confirmed that Sarah was among those who died in the flood and said that the city was heartbroken. 'This is an unimaginable loss for her family, her school and our entire community,' he wrote. 'Sarah's passing is a sorrow shared by all of us, and our hearts are with those who knew her and loved her.' In a text message on July 5, Sarah's grandmother, Ms Debbie Ford Marsh, said that Sarah's parents were not able to talk and declined to comment on behalf of the family. Earlier, on Facebook, she posted: 'We will always feel blessed to have had this beautiful spunky ray of light in our lives. She will live on in our hearts forever!' Janie Hunt Janie Hunt, 9, of Dallas, died in the flash flooding, her grandmother Margaret Hunt said in an interview. Janie was also attending Camp Mystic. It was her first time there as a camper, and she attended along with six of her cousins, who were safe, Ms Hunt said. Ms Hunt said she was in Vermont when she got a call from her daughter, Ms Anne Lindsay Hunt, telling her about the flooding. Janie's parents drove to Ingram Elementary, the reunification center, where they were told to visit a funeral home and identify their daughter. Janie, a great-granddaughter of the oil baron William Herbert Hunt, was the eldest of three children. Bobby and Amanda Martin Mr Bobby Martin, 46, and his wife Amanda, 44, were among those killed, Bobby Martin's father, Mr John Keith Martin, told The New York Times. The couple, from Odessa, Texas, were reportedly camping by the Guadalupe River when their RV was swept away by rising floodwaters. The elder Martin said one of his grandchildren and that grandchild's girlfriend were with the couple and were still missing. 'He was an adventurous man, adventurous and outgoing. He had many good friends, because he was a good friend,' Mr John Keith Martin said of his son. 'He's just incredible.' Jane Ragsdale Ms Jane Ragsdale, director and co-owner of the Heart O' the Hills summer camp in Kerr County, is among those confirmed dead in the flooding, according to a statement posted to the camp's website. No campers were residing at the site when the floods hit. 'We at the camp are stunned and deeply saddened by Jane's death,' the statement said. 'She embodied the spirit of Heart O' the Hills and was exactly the type of strong, joyful woman that the camp aimed to develop with the girls entrusted to us each summer.' Ms Ragsdale, who became camp director in 1988, started as a camper and later became a counselor. NY TIMES
