Heroic counselors who died saving drowning kids from Texas floods: 'Last act of kindness and sacrifice'

Daily Mail​

5 days ago

Two brave Camp Mystic staffers died trying to save young girls from the horrific Texas floods as authorities continue their urgent search for missing campers.
Camp Mystic father-figure and owner Richard 'Dick' Eastland, 70, died while attempting to rescue girls from the Bubble Inn cabin, one of the closest to the river.
College-bound counselor Chloe Childress, 18, was working at the Bubble Inn cabin, which housed the youngest campers, when the waters came rushing in.
The two heroic staffers were among the 27 confirmed dead at the all-girls Christian summer camp after the Guadalupe River flooded and surged by up to 30 feet above its usual water level on the Fourth of July.
A beloved director from neighboring Heart O'the Hills Camp was also killed when the flood came rushing in. Fortunately, no children were present at the time as the camp was in between sessions.
Roughly 750 children were likely asleep while the devastating flooding sent a wall of water through the century-old Camp Mystic.
Camp Mystic issued a statement Monday morning confirming an updated number of fatalities from the harrowing natural disaster over the weekend.
'We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls,' the camp said in a statement posted on its website.
'We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from the community, first responders, and officials at every level.'
At least 10 girls and one Camp Mystic counselor are still unaccounted for.
Here is what we know about the heroic employees who lost their lives:
Richard 'Dick' Eastland, 70
Camp Mystic Director Richard 'Dick' Eastland, 70, died while trying to rescue campers from the biblical rushing waters.
Eastland's nephew, Gardner Eastland, confirmed the death in a Facebook post on Saturday.
The camp director's wife, Tweety, was found safe at their home, according to Texas Public Radio.
Father-of-four Eastland was attempting to rescue girls from Bubble Inn cabin, located about 150 yards from the river's edge and about 15 feet above the water level, reported The Washington Post.
His body was found along with three girls he was trying to save.
The Eastlands have owned and operated Camp Mystic since 1974, and many viewed him as a father figure at the camp.
'It doesn't surprise me at all that his last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers,' The Kerrville Daily Times guest columnist Paige Sumner said in a tribute to Eastland.
'Dick was the father figure to all of us while we were away from home at Camp Mystic for six weeks.
'He was the father of four amazing boys, but he had hundreds of girls each term who looked up to him like a dad. I would never have taken a fishing class if it wasn't taught by my new friend Dick.'
The couple has 11 grandchildren, and several of their children and their partners assist in managing the camp.
According to the camp website, the Eastland's oldest son, Richard, manages the camp's kitchen; their youngest son, Edward, and his wife are directors of Camp Mystic Guadalupe River.
The couple attended the University of Texas in Austin and reside at the campgrounds.
Eastland is the third generation from his family to run the all-girls Christian summer camp since its founding in 1926.
Chloe Childress, 18
Camp Mystic counselor Chloe Childress, 18, also lost her life in the flood.
The Kinkaid School graduate was about to start studying at the University of Texas at Austin in the fall.
'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,' Jonathan Eades, the head of The Kinkaid School, wrote in a letter to the school community.
'She understood what it meant to be part of a community, and more than that, she helped build one.'
Childress worked in the Bubble Inn Cabin, which, alongside the Twins cabin, housed the youngest girls, aged 8 to 10.
The cabins were less than 500 feet from the river and thus took in water from two directions: the Guadalupe River and a nearby creek, making the girls' escape particularly challenging.
The bodies of nine of the girls and Childress have been found as of Monday morning, while counselor Katherine Ferruzzo and four campers remain missing.
Jane Ragsdale, 68
The director of another Texas summer camp was also confirmed among the victims.
Jane Ragsdale, 68, devoted her life to the Heart O'the Hills Camp, a summer camp for girls in the Texas Hill Country.
She was a camper and counselor there herself in the 1970s before becoming a co-owner. By the 1980s, she had become director of the camp in Hunt.
'She was the heart of The Heart,' the camp said in a statement. 'She was our guiding light, our example, and our safe place. She had the rare gift of making every person feel seen, loved, and important.'
Since the camp was between sessions, no children were staying there when the floodwaters rose.
The camp's facilities, directly in the path of the flood, were extensively damaged and access to the site remained difficult, according to camp officials. The camp has been in existence since the 1950s.
Camp officials said Ragsdale would be remembered for her strength and wisdom.
'We are heartbroken. But above all, we are grateful,' the camp said. 'Grateful to have known her, to have learned from her, and to carry her light forward.'