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Wales Online
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
The day Wales' 644-day misery ended as players barely able to stand amid the tears
The day Wales' 644-day misery ended as players barely able to stand amid the tears Ben James was in Kobe' to witness a dramatic and chaotic end to Wales' 18-match losing streak Blair Murray of Wales celebrates with his family (Image: 2025 Getty Images ) In Kobe's Noevir oven, the sound of the hooter is everything to Wales - cutting through the suffocating hot air like a cool relieving breeze. Seconds had felt like minutes before now, with devastation loitering under the roof; ready to pounce on its favourite prey. 644 days of it, enveloping the players, the staff, the fans - all of Welsh rugby - in a blanket of misery. Like the heat in Kobe; it's stifling. Inescapable. And yet, as the hooter sounds, there's a ladder hanging down from the top of this deep, deep hole. Devastation and misery chased away by the desperate choruses of Hymns and Arias. On the sidelines, the Welsh dugout is a throng of staff and players - all embracing with the knowledge that, finally, it's over. This run - this wretched run - has been left behind. 18 and done. History, not the good kind, beckoned, but Wales, somehow, escaped. In the end, it never mattered how. On the field, those in red can barely stand. Tom Rogers and Dan Edwards - the hero of the hour - embrace with a load-bearing hug keeping them both off the sweat-soaked grass. Article continues below Josh Macleod slowly walks onto the pitch as fast as his legs, pulsing with lactic acid, can take him. Once there, he drops to his haunches - taking in a Welsh performance that almost dragged defeat from the jaws of victory once again. But it didn't. Not this time. Hours before, there's a sense of dread. Last week, in the baking hot sun of Kitakyushu, it was hot. But Kobe's Noevir Stadium, with the roof closed, is something else. The word in the week is the air conditioning isn't great. That's an understatement. Once up in the lofty seats of the press box, sweat drips down my face at an alarming rate. Typing is hard, but, I grant you, compared to 80 minutes of rugby, it's nothing. This is going to be brutal. As Wales warm up, I retreat down a floor - intermittently stepping under an air conditioning unit to stop the melting. As one punter near the press box remarks, even Prince Andrew would struggle in this. On my press lanyard, the hand-written name has long been smudged beyond comprehension in the heat. Supporters use anything - hats, programmes, notepads - to fan themselves down. One Welsh fan, perhaps not grasping the roof, applies sun cream liberally. Sensing the discomfort I'm in, or simply out of fear of drowning, one local journalist offers me a napkin to wipe away the sweat. I am forever indebted. Martyn Williams, Wales' team manager, strides over to Macleod, patting him on the shoulder for his lung-draining efforts. It's enough. Replacement hooker Liam Belcher, still on cloud nine from the pinpoint lineout that helped Wales get over the line, floats across the pitch in a way that belies his sweat-drenched kit. When he reaches a cooling box with water bottles, he collapses to one knee - shattered as he wearily sticks a water-soaked hat on his head to bring his temperature down just a touch. Debutant Chris Coleman turns to the huddle of friends and family in the stands near the one sideline, giving a fist pump as he meets their glare. There's no wild celebrations in the heart of it, just relief painted over a rugby field in its purest form. This doesn't fix Welsh rugby - far from it - but for those here in Japan, for now, like the hooter, it's everything. Every moment isn't shouty or wildly jubilant, but it means something more. An on-field post-match press conference is met with rapturous applause by that small group of Welsh fans. Dan Edwards of Wales throws the ball to fans (Image: 2025 Getty Images ) It all starts fairly well early on. Josh Adams races away to score the opener. Minutes earlier, he had been grimacing down on the one sideline - having apparently been dealing with a knock in the week. On halfway, the Welsh pack don't sprint across to join in with celebrations- simply looking quietly pleased with their efforts. As the cogs slowly continue to turn, Welsh voices are louder, actions more animated. So far, so good. It's not all perfect. One kick through for Adams looks a certain try, only for the winger to fail to gather it. He drops to the deck almost in unison with Macleod, some 50 metres away - both struggling to deal with a try gone begging. Eventually, Tommy Reffell drags Adams to his feet - leaving him to ruminate on the missed opportunity. By now, the Welsh lineout is purring. Japan, having disrupted it last week, can't stop it now. If you want truly unseen things, then it's what happened in the room when Wales put their case to the match officials. All teams do it before Test matches, getting their point across. But here, as Japan don't get anywhere near the purchase as last week in stopping the maul, Wales have done something right. As the momentum builds, a lone Ogi, Ogi, Ogi rings out high up in the stands. A second try follows, with Welsh players towelling themselves off in delight. Even after half an hour, Welsh players are struggling in the heat. One scrum penalty for Wales sees Nicky Smith stay down for treatment as Archie Griffin is engulfed by team-mates to congratulate him. Smith stays down, still getting some help, as Wales restart play from the lineout. By the time he's back on his feet, Kieran Hardy is over for his second and Wales' third. The loosehead prop raises one arm in the air. On the bench, the sight of Keelan Giles - after nine years of waiting for a first cap - pops into view. Ready to enter the field, he stretches as Williams gives him some final pointers. Hold on, the bib goes back on, as does the wait. Although, as he'll soon find out, not for long. By now, Matt Sherratt - having wiped the tears from his eyes - has made it down to the pitch. He's met by WRU medical services manager Prav Mathema and Williams, who both embrace him. Among the revolving door of hugs, even Wales' Japanese interpreter gets caught up in it. It's all a bit much for the interim head coach, taking a few moments away from the group to compose himself. Finally, Sherratt and Lake meet - coach and captain - with a long embrace. In this heat, there's no more bodily liquid left to cry - all sweated away long ago. But the emotion, even from afar, is palpable. "Enjoy tonight" is the parting message from Sherratt to the travelling fans, who hang on his every word. Ben Thomas (L) and Tommy Reffell (R) of Wales celebrate (Image: 2025 Getty Images ) By now, the heat in the press box is unbearable. Thankfully, there's an air-conditioned box downstairs to watch the second-half. On the way down, a Japanese policeman with a Welsh rugby facemask greets me, proud as punch of the three feathers just west of his nose. Navigating through the corridors, one open door reveals Wales' coaches waiting for the lift down to the changing room. Leading the conversation, Sherratt finalises his half-time message for the players. Soon, the room is filled with Japanese policemen - seemingly a hang-out spot on matchday. Then, just as I spot Giles not warming up with the other replacements, Japan's defence coach Gary Gold walks in. This should be interesting. As the second-half kicks off, Sherratt's unmistakable voice echoes out in the corridor behind us, as he makes his way back to the coaching box for arguably the biggest 40 minutes of his career to date. Macleod, with the tank having seemingly been nearing empty for so long, gets over the ball. On the sidelines, former openside Williams spots it long before anyone else - raising his arms to call for the breakdown penalty. Kieran Hardy of Wales dives to score the team's third try (Image: 2025 Getty Images ) To my left, Gold simply whispers to himself: "That's suicide, lads." Occasionally, the South African saunters behind me, looking for a better view, before heading back to his notebook to scribble some notes. In fairness, as the momentum swings, he has little to write about from a defensive point of view. Welsh players drop to their knees in breaks, shaking the sweat off their hands. Referee Luke Pearce, repeatedly, has to hurry them along. After one charge down, Japan are in full flight while Welsh players can only stand with hands on their thighs as the action happens around them. It's unfolding again in familiar fashion. Unsettling, but familiar nonetheless. As Lake waits for the trophy lift - namely an oversized energy drink bottle replica and an actual trophy- he looks around, taking it all in. Hands behind his back, he's had to wait a while for this. Once Lake lifts the actual trophy for a photo, Gareth Thomas takes over possession of the bottle. Pure relief has passed.. Now, Wales are all smiles. Wales players celebrate the team's 31-22 victory (Image: 2025 Getty Images ) Two even larger bottles dwarf Thomas' replica on either side of the Wales team photo. Elliot Dee picks up one of the massive bottles, throwing it at Belcher, before it's taken away by some stadium staff. As the players head off for a lap of honour, Williams takes a photo of Sherratt and his coaching ticket on the pitch. Even Gethin Jenkins is smiling. Soon, the captain's race is run. Lake makes way during the water break. As he goes, he gives Belcher a hug and a lengthy piece of advice, pointing down to the corner. Soon, that corner is where Belcher would step up. Another Welshman withdrawn from the action, tighthead Griffin, drags off one of the cooling boxes from the pitch. All hands to the pump, both metaphorically and literally. As Japan get closer, Wales try to find a foothold. With rare attacking ball, Gold urges more from the home defence. "Work-wise, we can't be walking," he says. He's barely finished his sentence before Dylan Riley picks off a loose ball and sprints 60 metres to score. Suddenly, it's a two-point game. As Welsh players stand around in disbelief, Johnny Williams lies on the turf. It doesn't look good. Wales are rushed to kick-off, while Williams hobbles to the sideline. Reuben Morgan-Williams, the uncapped Ospreys scrum-half, bursts onto the field for his debut, before being pulled back just four yards in. He's not getting on yet. The aching Williams then tries to return, but it soon becomes apparent he's not coming back on. So, in the space of a few seconds, Morgan-Williams makes his second Wales debut. As a makeshift wing, fly-half Edwards and full-back Murray shepherd him around the backfield. The wheels, once again, look like they're coming off. Still, there's moments of resistance against the Japanese tide. One Macleod breakdown penalty elicits a four-letter expletive in a South African accent in our box. Welsh bodies are tiring, with Edwards slapping the backs of those who look like they've nothing more to give. But there's just a little more left. Belcher, in that corner Lake had pointed to minutes earlier, nails his darts. It's patient, until Taine Plumtree does something magic, and Edwards squeezes over. No delirium. Welsh bodies are far too tired for that. All they can muster is walking back to Huw Bennett for more water and instructions. Five minutes between Wales and victory. Soon it's two, then one. Hymns and Arias rings out. Rogers finds touch with a clearance. The crowd celebrate like a try has been scored. On the sidelines, Halfpenny and T. Rhys Thomas edge nearer the action. Those squad members not involved in the game hurry down to the dugout. Soon, it's seconds. Finally, the sound of the hooter cuts through the air. The corridors under the stands are manic. As one Welsh staff member passes by, all he can muster is "Thank God it's over." "I'll shake Ben's hand as he's been miserable for 18 months.," says Sherratt before starting his press conference. 18 months is generous. Both him and Lake are clapped out of the room by the local press once their duties are done. Down the corridor, in the Welsh dressing room, joyful renditions of 'Believe', 'Walking in Memphis' and 'Country Roads' ring out - each one chosen by the new caps as their song. If you never knew Giles was a Cher fan, you do now. There's little time to saviour it all. There's a train to Tokyo to catch. A flight home back to Wales - and all the normalities and uncertainties that come with it - awaits. But, for a few moments before they leave the stadium, in a near-empty dressing room that has been cleared of all of Wales' equipment and paraphernalia, a half-open door shows the sight of Wales' interim coaching staff sharing a cold beer or two - having achieved what they set out to do. Article continues below For now, after 644 days, this is everything.
The Age
07-07-2025
- General
- The Age
‘He died trying to save Mystic girls': Camp director's last desperate bid to reach Bubble Inn cabin
Eight-year-olds Sarah Marsh and Renee Smajstrla, along with hundreds of other girls, descended on Camp Mystic this summer, ready to fish, play games, exchange bracelets and make lifelong friendships. They were nestled among the oak and cypress trees in Texas Hill Country on Friday, when torrential rain raised the Guadalupe River and floodwater swept through the nearly century-old camp. With it came death, devastation and destruction at a place that generations of campers have held dear every summer, decade after decade. As of Sunday, the central Texas flood has killed nearly 80 people, including at least 28 children – Marsh and Smajstrla among them. At least 68 of the people who died in the flood were in Kerr County, where Mystic is. The flood also left two beloved camp directors dead, one of Camp Mystic and another of the nearby Heart O' the Hills. Loading As rescuers continued their search through the flood wreckage, muddied cabins and felled trees on Sunday, 11 Mystic girls and one counsellor were still missing. A total of 41 people in the state remained unaccounted for after the flood, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Sunday afternoon. The tragedy shattered the beloved, once serene scene of summer camp in the Texas Hill Country, leaving hundreds taking stock of what was lost. In a Facebook post on Friday, Smajstrla's uncle, Shawn Salta, shared a photo of the eight-year-old from the previous day at camp wearing a hot pink top and a wide smile. 'We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday,' Salta wrote. 'She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic.' Hour by hour, the names of more children who died in the flood over the weekend were revealed – Janie Hunt, a nine-year-old whose mother described as 'brave and sweet'; Blair and Brooke Harber, sisters who attended a Catholic school in Dallas; Linnie McCown, an eight-year-old whose father drove to Mystic to try to find her himself. On Sunday, roughly 200 parishioners gathered at the First Presbyterian Church of Kerrville, which lost one of its members to the floods, Jane Ragsdale, the 68-year-old director and co-owner of the Heart O' the Hills camp. She had spent her entire life at the camp, which was her family's business. She climbed from junior counsellor to counsellor before becoming director about 25 years ago. The camp was in between sessions this week. Jack Haberer, retired pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Kerrville, said Ragsdale served on the board of elders, focusing on missions, and sang in the church choir. 'She was the one that lit up the room when she walked in. An effervescent personality,' Haberer said. 'Always a positive word, an encouraging word – always building people up.' Inside Ragsdale's church on Sunday morning, the service began with 'Hymns of Comfort' and a long silence. The readings included Psalm 23, 'Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.' The pastor giving the children's message told the young faces before her, 'It's OK to be angry about what's happened. It's OK to be really scared. It's OK to be terribly sad.' The Reverend Jasiel Hernandez Garcia said he, too, had struggled to find the right words amid such ongoing tragedy. 'We lost extraordinary people, like our beloved Jane Ragsdale … Our hearts ache for all the children and people who have not been found as of this morning,' Garcia said. 'Our hearts ache for all the damage done to our community. Our hearts ache because we love.' To those who knew Richard 'Dick' Eastland, co-owner and co-executive director of Camp Mystic, it was no surprise that he was found alongside three girls he had tried to save from the rising water. 'He died trying to save Mystic girls,' said Cami Wright, 57, who attended the camp and later served as a counsellor. 'That was his whole life.' Eastland was the third generation of his family to manage Mystic. Though he'd worked at the camp for decades, he remembered every camper's name, Wright recalled. He taught campers how to fish, build fires and fold a flag, she said. On Sundays, he led the service at Chapel Hill, a site overlooking the camp. 'He was like a father to thousands of little girls,' Wright said. Before he was found, Eastland had been trying to rescue the campers in the Bubble Inn cabin, which sat about 150 yards from the river's edge. But the water, which came from the Guadalupe River in one direction and from a nearby creek in the other, came too fast. 'It made like a swirl right around those cabins like a toilet bowl,' said Craig Althaus, who worked on the property for 25 years. Eastland died in a helicopter on the way to a Houston hospital, according to Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, who said he was in men's Bible study with Eastland. Like him, others confirmed to have died had been trying to save their loved ones as the water rose quickly. Julian Ryan had been at his Ingram home with his children and mother-in-law early Friday when floodwaters poured into the house, his fiancee told Houston television station KHOU. Christinia Wilson said Ryan punched through a window to help get his family to safety, causing severe bleeding along his arm. His body was recovered hours later, after the waters had receded. 'He died a hero, and that will never go unnoticed,' Connie Salas, Ryan's sister, told KHOU. A friend, Kris Roberts, told the station that he was 'the kindest person' Roberts had ever met. 'I'll forever love him no matter what,' Roberts said. At Mystic, Sundays had always been riddled with traditions, including wearing white and praying at Chapel Hill, said Wright, who wore white herself to honour the victims, as did many alumni of Mystic who had been sharing updates among one another. Loading Sundays were also the day campers got to eat fried chicken, but only after they completed their 'chicken letters' – written messages to friends or family back home. Earlier on Sunday, Wright said she had heard that a friend of a friend had lost her daughter, who had been staying in Bubble Inn. Days earlier, the parent had received what Wright said was probably a chicken letter from their daughter: a last message from Mystic.
Sydney Morning Herald
07-07-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘He died trying to save Mystic girls': Camp director's last desperate bid to reach Bubble Inn cabin
Eight-year-olds Sarah Marsh and Renee Smajstrla, along with hundreds of other girls, descended on Camp Mystic this summer, ready to fish, play games, exchange bracelets and make lifelong friendships. They were nestled among the oak and cypress trees in Texas Hill Country on Friday, when torrential rain raised the Guadalupe River and floodwater swept through the nearly century-old camp. With it came death, devastation and destruction at a place that generations of campers have held dear every summer, decade after decade. As of Sunday, the central Texas flood has killed nearly 80 people, including at least 28 children – Marsh and Smajstrla among them. At least 68 of the people who died in the flood were in Kerr County, where Mystic is. The flood also left two beloved camp directors dead, one of Camp Mystic and another of the nearby Heart O' the Hills. Loading As rescuers continued their search through the flood wreckage, muddied cabins and felled trees on Sunday, 11 Mystic girls and one counsellor were still missing. A total of 41 people in the state remained unaccounted for after the flood, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Sunday afternoon. The tragedy shattered the beloved, once serene scene of summer camp in the Texas Hill Country, leaving hundreds taking stock of what was lost. In a Facebook post on Friday, Smajstrla's uncle, Shawn Salta, shared a photo of the eight-year-old from the previous day at camp wearing a hot pink top and a wide smile. 'We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday,' Salta wrote. 'She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic.' Hour by hour, the names of more children who died in the flood over the weekend were revealed – Janie Hunt, a nine-year-old whose mother described as 'brave and sweet'; Blair and Brooke Harber, sisters who attended a Catholic school in Dallas; Linnie McCown, an eight-year-old whose father drove to Mystic to try to find her himself. On Sunday, roughly 200 parishioners gathered at the First Presbyterian Church of Kerrville, which lost one of its members to the floods, Jane Ragsdale, the 68-year-old director and co-owner of the Heart O' the Hills camp. She had spent her entire life at the camp, which was her family's business. She climbed from junior counsellor to counsellor before becoming director about 25 years ago. The camp was in between sessions this week. Jack Haberer, retired pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Kerrville, said Ragsdale served on the board of elders, focusing on missions, and sang in the church choir. 'She was the one that lit up the room when she walked in. An effervescent personality,' Haberer said. 'Always a positive word, an encouraging word – always building people up.' Inside Ragsdale's church on Sunday morning, the service began with 'Hymns of Comfort' and a long silence. The readings included Psalm 23, 'Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.' The pastor giving the children's message told the young faces before her, 'It's OK to be angry about what's happened. It's OK to be really scared. It's OK to be terribly sad.' The Reverend Jasiel Hernandez Garcia said he, too, had struggled to find the right words amid such ongoing tragedy. 'We lost extraordinary people, like our beloved Jane Ragsdale … Our hearts ache for all the children and people who have not been found as of this morning,' Garcia said. 'Our hearts ache for all the damage done to our community. Our hearts ache because we love.' To those who knew Richard 'Dick' Eastland, co-owner and co-executive director of Camp Mystic, it was no surprise that he was found alongside three girls he had tried to save from the rising water. 'He died trying to save Mystic girls,' said Cami Wright, 57, who attended the camp and later served as a counsellor. 'That was his whole life.' Eastland was the third generation of his family to manage Mystic. Though he'd worked at the camp for decades, he remembered every camper's name, Wright recalled. He taught campers how to fish, build fires and fold a flag, she said. On Sundays, he led the service at Chapel Hill, a site overlooking the camp. 'He was like a father to thousands of little girls,' Wright said. Before he was found, Eastland had been trying to rescue the campers in the Bubble Inn cabin, which sat about 150 yards from the river's edge. But the water, which came from the Guadalupe River in one direction and from a nearby creek in the other, came too fast. 'It made like a swirl right around those cabins like a toilet bowl,' said Craig Althaus, who worked on the property for 25 years. Eastland died in a helicopter on the way to a Houston hospital, according to Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, who said he was in men's Bible study with Eastland. Like him, others confirmed to have died had been trying to save their loved ones as the water rose quickly. Julian Ryan had been at his Ingram home with his children and mother-in-law early Friday when floodwaters poured into the house, his fiancee told Houston television station KHOU. Christinia Wilson said Ryan punched through a window to help get his family to safety, causing severe bleeding along his arm. His body was recovered hours later, after the waters had receded. 'He died a hero, and that will never go unnoticed,' Connie Salas, Ryan's sister, told KHOU. A friend, Kris Roberts, told the station that he was 'the kindest person' Roberts had ever met. 'I'll forever love him no matter what,' Roberts said. At Mystic, Sundays had always been riddled with traditions, including wearing white and praying at Chapel Hill, said Wright, who wore white herself to honour the victims, as did many alumni of Mystic who had been sharing updates among one another. Sundays were also the day campers got to eat fried chicken, but only after they completed their 'chicken letters' – written messages to friends or family back home. Earlier on Sunday, Wright said she had heard that a friend of a friend had lost her daughter, who had been staying in Bubble Inn. Loading Days earlier, the parent had received what Wright said was probably a chicken letter from their daughter: a last message from Mystic. The Washington Post
Sydney Morning Herald
07-07-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘He died trying to save Mystic girls': Texas flood victims named and mourned
Eight-year-olds Sarah Marsh and Renee Smajstrla, along with hundreds of other girls, descended on Camp Mystic this summer, ready to fish, play games, exchange bracelets and make lifelong friendships. They were nestled among the oak and cypress trees in Texas Hill Country on Friday, when torrential rain raised the Guadalupe River and floodwater swept through the nearly century-old camp. With it came death, devastation and destruction at a place that generations of campers have held dear every summer, decade after decade. As of Sunday, the central Texas flood has killed nearly 80 people, including at least 28 children - Marsh and Smajstrla among them. At least 68 of the people who died in the flood were in Kerr County, where Mystic is. The flood also left two beloved camp directors dead, one of Camp Mystic and another of the nearby Heart O' the Hills. Loading As rescuers continued their search through the flood wreckage, muddied cabins and felled trees on Sunday, 11 Mystic girls and one counsellor were still missing. A total of 41 people in the state remained unaccounted for after the flood, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Sunday afternoon. The tragedy shattered the beloved, once serene scene of summer camp in the Texas Hill Country, leaving hundreds taking stock of what was lost. In a Facebook post on Friday, Smajstrla's uncle, Shawn Salta, shared a photo of the eight-year-old from the previous day at camp wearing a hot pink top and a wide smile. 'We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday,' Salta wrote. 'She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic.' Hour by hour, the names of more children who died in the flood over the weekend were revealed – Janie Hunt, a nine-year-old whose mother described as 'brave and sweet'; Blair and Brooke Harber, sisters who attended a Catholic school in Dallas; Linnie McCown, an eight-year-old whose father drove to Mystic to try to find her himself. On Sunday, roughly 200 parishioners gathered at the First Presbyterian Church of Kerrville, which lost one of its members to the floods, Jane Ragsdale, the 68-year-old director and co-owner of the Heart O' the Hills camp. She had spent her entire life at the camp, which was her family's business. She climbed from junior counsellor to counsellor before becoming director about 25 years ago. The camp was in between sessions this week. Jack Haberer, retired pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Kerrville, said Ragsdale served on the board of elders, focusing on missions, and sang in the church choir. 'She was the one that lit up the room when she walked in. An effervescent personality,' Haberer said. 'Always a positive word, an encouraging word – always building people up.' Inside Ragsdale's church on Sunday morning, the service began with 'Hymns of Comfort' and a long silence. The readings included Psalm 23, 'Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.' The pastor giving the children's message told the young faces before her, 'It's okay to be angry about what's happened. It's okay to be really scared. It's okay to be terribly sad.' The Reverend Jasiel Hernandez Garcia said he, too, had struggled to find the right words amid such ongoing tragedy. 'We lost extraordinary people, like our beloved Jane Ragsdale … Our hearts ache for all the children and people who have not been found as of this morning,' Garcia said. 'Our hearts ache for all the damage done to our community. Our hearts ache because we love.' To those who knew Richard 'Dick' Eastland, co-owner and co-executive director of Camp Mystic, it was no surprise that he was found alongside three girls he had tried to save from the rising water. 'He died trying to save Mystic girls,' said Cami Wright, 57, who attended the camp and later served as a counsellor. 'That was his whole life.' Eastland was the third generation of his family to manage Mystic. Though he'd worked at the camp for decades, he remembered every camper's name, Wright recalled. He taught campers how to fish, build fires and fold a flag, she said. On Sundays, he led the service at Chapel Hill, a site overlooking the camp. 'He was like a father to thousands of little girls,' Wright said. Before he was found, Eastland had been trying to rescue the campers in the Bubble Inn cabin, which sat about 150 yards from the river's edge. But the water, which came from the Guadalupe River in one direction and from a nearby creek in the other, came too fast. 'It made like a swirl right around those cabins like a toilet bowl,' said Craig Althaus, who worked on the property for 25 years. Eastland died in a helicopter on the way to a Houston hospital, according to Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, who said he was in men's Bible study with Eastland. Like him, others confirmed to have died had been trying to save their loved ones as the water rose quickly. Julian Ryan had been at his Ingram home with his children and mother-in-law early Friday when floodwaters poured into the house, his fiancee told Houston television station KHOU. Christinia Wilson said Ryan punched through a window to help get his family to safety, causing severe bleeding along his arm. His body was recovered hours later, after the waters had receded. 'He died a hero, and that will never go unnoticed,' Connie Salas, Ryan's sister, told KHOU. A friend, Kris Roberts, told the station that he was 'the kindest person' Roberts had ever met. 'I'll forever love him no matter what,' Roberts said. At Mystic, Sundays had always been riddled with traditions, including wearing white and praying at Chapel Hill, said Wright, who wore white herself to honour the victims, as did many alumni of Mystic who had been sharing updates among one another. Sundays were also the day campers got to eat fried chicken, but only after they completed their 'chicken letters' – written messages to friends or family back home. Earlier on Sunday, Wright said she had heard that a friend of a friend had lost her daughter, who had been staying in Bubble Inn. Days earlier, the parent had received what Wright said was probably a chicken letter from their daughter: a last message from Mystic.
The Age
07-07-2025
- General
- The Age
‘He died trying to save Mystic girls': Texas flood victims named and mourned
Eight-year-olds Sarah Marsh and Renee Smajstrla, along with hundreds of other girls, descended on Camp Mystic this summer, ready to fish, play games, exchange bracelets and make lifelong friendships. They were nestled among the oak and cypress trees in Texas Hill Country on Friday, when torrential rain raised the Guadalupe River and floodwater swept through the nearly century-old camp. With it came death, devastation and destruction at a place that generations of campers have held dear every summer, decade after decade. As of Sunday, the central Texas flood has killed nearly 80 people, including at least 28 children - Marsh and Smajstrla among them. At least 68 of the people who died in the flood were in Kerr County, where Mystic is. The flood also left two beloved camp directors dead, one of Camp Mystic and another of the nearby Heart O' the Hills. Loading As rescuers continued their search through the flood wreckage, muddied cabins and felled trees on Sunday, 11 Mystic girls and one counsellor were still missing. A total of 41 people in the state remained unaccounted for after the flood, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Sunday afternoon. The tragedy shattered the beloved, once serene scene of summer camp in the Texas Hill Country, leaving hundreds taking stock of what was lost. In a Facebook post on Friday, Smajstrla's uncle, Shawn Salta, shared a photo of the eight-year-old from the previous day at camp wearing a hot pink top and a wide smile. 'We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday,' Salta wrote. 'She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic.' Hour by hour, the names of more children who died in the flood over the weekend were revealed – Janie Hunt, a nine-year-old whose mother described as 'brave and sweet'; Blair and Brooke Harber, sisters who attended a Catholic school in Dallas; Linnie McCown, an eight-year-old whose father drove to Mystic to try to find her himself. On Sunday, roughly 200 parishioners gathered at the First Presbyterian Church of Kerrville, which lost one of its members to the floods, Jane Ragsdale, the 68-year-old director and co-owner of the Heart O' the Hills camp. She had spent her entire life at the camp, which was her family's business. She climbed from junior counsellor to counsellor before becoming director about 25 years ago. The camp was in between sessions this week. Jack Haberer, retired pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Kerrville, said Ragsdale served on the board of elders, focusing on missions, and sang in the church choir. 'She was the one that lit up the room when she walked in. An effervescent personality,' Haberer said. 'Always a positive word, an encouraging word – always building people up.' Inside Ragsdale's church on Sunday morning, the service began with 'Hymns of Comfort' and a long silence. The readings included Psalm 23, 'Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.' The pastor giving the children's message told the young faces before her, 'It's okay to be angry about what's happened. It's okay to be really scared. It's okay to be terribly sad.' The Reverend Jasiel Hernandez Garcia said he, too, had struggled to find the right words amid such ongoing tragedy. 'We lost extraordinary people, like our beloved Jane Ragsdale … Our hearts ache for all the children and people who have not been found as of this morning,' Garcia said. 'Our hearts ache for all the damage done to our community. Our hearts ache because we love.' To those who knew Richard 'Dick' Eastland, co-owner and co-executive director of Camp Mystic, it was no surprise that he was found alongside three girls he had tried to save from the rising water. 'He died trying to save Mystic girls,' said Cami Wright, 57, who attended the camp and later served as a counsellor. 'That was his whole life.' Eastland was the third generation of his family to manage Mystic. Though he'd worked at the camp for decades, he remembered every camper's name, Wright recalled. He taught campers how to fish, build fires and fold a flag, she said. On Sundays, he led the service at Chapel Hill, a site overlooking the camp. 'He was like a father to thousands of little girls,' Wright said. Before he was found, Eastland had been trying to rescue the campers in the Bubble Inn cabin, which sat about 150 yards from the river's edge. But the water, which came from the Guadalupe River in one direction and from a nearby creek in the other, came too fast. 'It made like a swirl right around those cabins like a toilet bowl,' said Craig Althaus, who worked on the property for 25 years. Eastland died in a helicopter on the way to a Houston hospital, according to Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, who said he was in men's Bible study with Eastland. Like him, others confirmed to have died had been trying to save their loved ones as the water rose quickly. Julian Ryan had been at his Ingram home with his children and mother-in-law early Friday when floodwaters poured into the house, his fiancee told Houston television station KHOU. Christinia Wilson said Ryan punched through a window to help get his family to safety, causing severe bleeding along his arm. His body was recovered hours later, after the waters had receded. 'He died a hero, and that will never go unnoticed,' Connie Salas, Ryan's sister, told KHOU. A friend, Kris Roberts, told the station that he was 'the kindest person' Roberts had ever met. 'I'll forever love him no matter what,' Roberts said. At Mystic, Sundays had always been riddled with traditions, including wearing white and praying at Chapel Hill, said Wright, who wore white herself to honour the victims, as did many alumni of Mystic who had been sharing updates among one another. Sundays were also the day campers got to eat fried chicken, but only after they completed their 'chicken letters' – written messages to friends or family back home. Earlier on Sunday, Wright said she had heard that a friend of a friend had lost her daughter, who had been staying in Bubble Inn. Days earlier, the parent had received what Wright said was probably a chicken letter from their daughter: a last message from Mystic.
