Ten girls and one camp counsellor from Camp Mystic have yet to be found. Officials have said they expect the death toll will rise as follows: ups begin. The area remains at risk with more storms forecast in the next 24 to 48 hours, likely to complicate a search that is already difficult due to venomous snakes and thick debris.
A Widespread Flight as Rapid Flooding Leads to One of Texas's Biggest Rescues
The tragedy occurred hours before dawn on Friday, when the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes, catching a number of campers while they slept. Three campers as well as the onetime director of Camp Mystic, Richard "Dick" Eastland, are among the dead.
Among those searching for casualties were rescue teams, including volunteers like Greg Froelick, a former Navy SEAL, from the group 300 Justice. According to Froelick, some of the victims were found up to 8 miles downstream from Camp Mystic, and personal property belonging to the camp began appearing along the river's bank.
Some 18 adults and 10 children the Kerr County have been recovered and remain unidentified to date. Officials are also trying to determine how many other visitors may have been in the area for the holiday weekend and whether any were caught in the flooding.
Devastation and Relief Efforts Continue
The road to Camp Mystic from Kerrville is also mostly ruined along the Guadalupe River. Houses have been flattened, trees upended, and furniture and fences strewn across the region. There are also utility lines down in a number of areas.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has vowed to do "everything we can" to find the missing. While touring the ravaged sections, he called the scenes "horrific," especially what the children went through when their houses were flooded.
President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County on Sunday, making federal emergency aid available to the state. He also said he might travel to Texas on Friday. "We disrupted the world," he said, calling the event "a horrible thing," and confirming that support would continue.
Local communities have stepped up to offer help. Alma Garcia, 26, travelled from San Antonio to bring home-cooked meals to residents and volunteers. One woman drenched in the floodwaters received a dry T-shirt handed directly from Garcia's own back. Another resident, Perla, gathered clothes and shoes at the end of the workday and delivered them to a local shelter the following morning.
Prayer and support were sent from around the world. At Rome, Pope Leo XIV was among the first to express prayers and consolation for the victims and especially the children who perished at Camp Mystic.
