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Yahoo
08-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Texas flooding victims: From campers to parents, what we know about the lives lost
Young campers at Camp Mystic and a dad saving his family were among the more than 100 people killed in the historic flash floods that tore through central Texas over the holiday weekend. Here's what we know about the lives lost: Chloe Childress, a counselor at Camp Mystic, was set to attend the University of Texas at Austin in the fall. She "lived a beautiful life that saturated those around her with contagious joy, unending grace, and abiding faith," her family said in a statement. "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." Jonathan Eades, the head of The Kinkaid School, from which she graduated earlier this year, remembered Childress as someone who had a "remarkable way of making people feel seen" and "steady compassion that settled a room." "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. She understood what it meant to be part of a community, and more than that, she helped build one," Eades wrote in a letter to the school community. Childress "lost her life upholding this selfless and fierce commitment to others," Eades said. "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. Jane Ragsdale was the director of the Heart O' the Hills Camp for Girls. "We at the camp are stunned and deeply saddened by Jane's death," Heart O' the Hills Camp said in a statement. "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." Julian Ryan, 27, died after trying to help his family escape their trailer home in Ingram, according to his sister, Connie Salas. Ryan and his fiancée woke up early Friday to ankle-deep water inside their home, and within moments, the water surged to waist level, she said. As their mattress began to float, the couple placed their 13-month-old and 6-year-old sons on top for safety, Salas said. The bedroom door, swollen shut from water pressure, would not open. In a desperate attempt to escape, Ryan tried to break a window and suffered a severe cut to his arm, Salas said. He began to bleed profusely, Salas said, and as the water rose to their chins, Ryan's mother shouted for help. Ryan lost consciousness before help could arrive, she said. "I love you. I'm so sorry," were Ryan's last words to his fiancée when he realized he wasn't going to survive, the family said. "He didn't die in vain," Salas told ABC News. "He died a hero." Katheryn Eads and her husband were camping in an RV when they got separated in the floodwaters, her daughter said. "Dr. Katheryn Eads lived a fulfilling life, cut far too short," the Eads family said in a statement. "She was an incredible wife, daughter, mother, grandmother, and person who spent her life helping kids, from those in the foster care system early in her career to those in school, both in early education as a psychologist and in college as a professor. Trying to figure out our lives without her is a possibility we never planned to face and we will always miss her." Camp Mystic victims Hanna Lawrence and Rebecca Lawrence were 8-year-old twin sisters from Dallas. Their 14-year-old sister, Harper, survived the flooding, their family said. "It has been an unimaginable time for all of us," their grandfather, David Lawrence Jr., said. "Hanna and Rebecca gave their parents John and Lacy and sister Harper, and all in our family, so much joy. They and that joy can never be forgotten." Dick Eastland, who served as the longtime director of Camp Mystic with his wife, died trying to save the lives of his campers, according to public officials. "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," his grandson, George Eastland, wrote on Instagram. "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." He called his grandfather a "dear friend, fishing buddy, hunting guide, golf partner, avid Texas Longhorns fanatic, my #1 fan, and above all else: a hero." "What I'll take most from you is your positive attitude, servant heart, and ability to remain faithful in the toughest of times," George Eastland wrote. "Through battling cancer to the death of your son James, you showed me what a strong Christian man looks like. You loved others when they didn't love you back, and were so quick to help out when anyone at camp had the slightest inconveniences. Although I am devastated, I can't say I'm surprised that you sacrificed your life with the hopes of someone else's being saved." MORE: At least 27 dead at Camp Mystic as officials say they were caught off guard by storm He "made everyone feel safe and seen," former Camp Mystic counselor Ryan Robinson told ABC News Live. "He is just truly the most selfless, kind, father figure to thousands of girls," Robinson said. "I had the privilege of teaching the fishing class with him at Camp Mystic, and those are truly some of my favorite life memories. I felt lucky every single day that I got to talk to Dick." Anne Margaret Bellows, 8, was a camper at Camp Mystic, her mom, Patricia Bellows, told Houston ABC station KTRK. "For those who knew her, she was a radiant joy. She was just a lot of fun and kind," she said. Patricia Bellows said she was grateful for camp director Dick Eastland and the counselors who sacrificed their lives to try to save their campers. They "loved our children and protected them until the very end," she said. Sarah Marsh, 8, of Mountain Brook, Alabama, was a camper at Camp Mystic, Mountain Brook Mayor Stewart Welch said. "This is an unimaginable loss for her family, her school, and our entire community. Sarah's passing is a sorrow shared by all of us, and our hearts are with those who knew and loved her," the mayor said in a statement. Alabama Sen. Katie Britt wrote on social media that she's "keeping her family in our thoughts and prayers during this unimaginable time." MORE: Texas flooding live updates Janie Hunt, 9, was also among the victims. Georgia Rep. Buddy Carter said Janie was cousins with his granddaughters, who survived the flooding. "God of grace & comfort, we thank you for our precious little niece, Janie Hunt. Thank you for the special place she held in all our hearts," Janie's aunt, Libby Hunt, wrote on social media. "We thank you for the love in which she was born and for the care in which she was given by her loving parents." "As we remember times of love & laughter, we thank you for the sweet love we all shared with darling, little Janie," she continued. "We continue to pray for, Camp Mystic, The Hill Country & for those that have passed away & their families & those that are still missing." MORE: Texas flooding timeline: How rapidly rising waters killed dozens Sisters Blair Harber, 13, and Brooke Harber, 11, who were staying with their family near the Guadalupe River, were in the loft of their cabin with their rosaries when the flooding began, according to the St. Rita Catholic Community in Dallas. The sisters' bodies were found together 15 miles away the next day. Blair, a rising eighth grader, "had the kindest heart and loved to serve others," the St. Rita Catholic Community said in a statement. She was an "outstanding student" who took advanced classes, the statement said, and she "served as a Student Ambassador, proudly guiding prospective families through the school." She participated in yearbook, speech and drama, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse and cheerleading, the statement said, and was planning to audition for the lead role in the eighth grade play. Brooke, a rising sixth grader, was also an "excellent student" and was an "accomplished soccer, basketball, volleyball, and lacrosse player," the statement said. "She, too, loved speech and drama and had a particular gift for improv that brought smiles and laughter to those around her," the statement said. "Brooke never met a stranger and loved everyone she met." Reece Zunker, a soccer coach and teacher in Kerrville, Texas, and his wife, Paula Zunker, both died in the flooding, according to the Kerrville Independent School District. Their children were reported missing, the district said. Reece Zunker's soccer team called him a "mentor, teacher and a role model" who "rebuilt the soccer program and left a legacy." "Reece was a passionate educator and a beloved soccer coach," the school district said in a statement. "His unwavering dedication to our students, athletes, and the Tivy community touched countless lives and will never be forgotten. Paula, a former Tivy teacher, also left a lasting mark on our community. The care and impact she shared with her students continue to be felt, even years later." Jeff Wilson, a high school teacher of three decades in Humble, Texas, died in the floods, and his wife and son were reported missing, his brother-in-law said, according to the Humble Independent School District. Wilson "was a beloved teacher and co-worker to many and will be deeply missed," the school district said. "Please continue to keep their entire family, and ours, in your prayers." Mary Kathryn Jacobe, 8, was also at Camp Mystic when she died in the flooding, her family told KTRK. John Burgess, 39, was camping with his family near the Guadalupe River when he died in the flooding, his family told KTRK. His wife and two sons are unaccounted for, the family said. ABC News' Camilla Alcini, Christopher Looft and Gabrielle Vinick contributed to this report.
Sky News AU
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Sky News AU
Haunting photo shows Camp Mystic campers just days before every girl was swept away by Texas floods
The girls in the 'Bubble Inn' cabin started June 29 at Camp Mystic with great-big smiles. A photo shows all 13 girls and two counselors in spotless white dresses and skirts and white sneakers, beaming at the camera. Less than five days later every person in the photo was swept away by the Texas flash floods. Tragedy began around 4 a.m. Friday as the girls were sleeping just a few hundred feet from the Guadalupe River. The bodies of 10 of the girls, ages 8 and 9, have been recovered, along with counselor Chloe Childress, 18. Three girls and counselor Katherine Ferruzzo, 19, have not been found. The rising third and fourth graders, as the youngest campers, were housed in the flatlands — closest to the river, with some cabins just 225 feet from the bank. The older girls stayed on higher ground on 'Senior Hill.' After a freak rain storm dumped a month's worth of rain on the Texas Hill Country in just two hours, the Guadalupe rose 20 feet in a matter of minutes, cresting upstream in Hunt, Texas around 6:30 a.m. The camp with 750 girls — a storied Christian sleep-away destination for some of Texas' most elite families in Houston, Dallas and Austin — now counts 27 victims dead, with 10 girls, plus Ferruzzo, missing. Most victims are young girls from the flatlands cabins. Photos of inside a nearby cabin, the Handy Hut, shows the water rose nearly to the top of the door frame before receding. In all, more than 100 people have been confirmed dead in the flash flooding that terrorized Kerr County over the weekend, with the statewide death toll hitting 95. Among the dead at Camp Mystic is the camp's owner, Richard 'Dick' Eastland. He tried to rescue the campers at Bubble Inn, his son told the Washington Post, but waters from the river and another creek rushed in from both sides, leaving no escape for anyone. Searchers found Eastland's body along with the remains of three girls inside a black SUV. 'It made like a swirl right around those cabins like a toilet bowl,' camp employee Craig Althaus told the outlet. Camp counselor Childress also died while desperately trying to rescue the girls in her care. She upheld a 'selfless and fierce commitment to others,' Jonathan Eades, head of school at Kinkaid School in Houston, from which Chloe had just graduated, wrote in a statement. Tragedy in the Bubble Inn cabin Found dead: Margaret Bellows, 8 Lila Bonner, 9 Janie Hunt, 9 Lainey Landry Sarah Marsh, 8 Linnie McCown, 8 Wynne Naylor, 8 Eloise Peck, 9 Renee Smajstria, 9 Mary Stevens, 8 Chloe Childress, 18 Still missing: Molly DeWitt, 9 Ellen Getten, 8 Abby Pohl Katherine Ferruzzo, 19 Originally published as Haunting photo shows Camp Mystic campers just days before every girl was swept away by Texas floods
Straits Times
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Straits Times
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. 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 Singapore NUS College draws 10,000 applications for 400 places, showing strong liberal arts interest Business Beyond the 9 to 5: Why side hustles are becoming a way of life for more full-time workers Singapore Changkat Primary School turns 2,000 old uniforms into new creations for 60th anniversary Life Star Awards 2025: 11 looks that shocked and charmed on the red carpet Singapore First BTO project in Sembawang North to be offered in July HDB launch World Tariffs will kick in on Aug 1 barring trade deals: US Treasury Secretary According to her LinkedIn profile, Ms Childress had been working as a counselor at Camp Mystic since June, shortly after graduation. Dick Eastland The longtime director of Camp Mystic, Mr Dick Eastland, was among the dead, elected officials and family members confirmed. 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
