Brave teen girl, 17, died saving her entire family from raging Texas floodwaters
Malaya Hammond, 17, was traveling to a Christian summer camp with her family at 5 a.m. Saturday when they drove off a bridge covered by flooding — sweeping their van into Marble Falls, according to a Facebook post from a family friend, Mikki Willis.
The brave teen managed to open the door of the van, saving her parents, Liz and Matthew, and her younger siblings — Khalil, 16, and Surya, 14 — who were otherwise trapped under water.
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4 Malaya Hammond, 17, was swept to her death after saving her parents and younger siblings who were otherwise trapped under water due to the Texas flooding.
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'In total darkness, they fought to stay above water,' Willis wrote — but 'Malaya was swept away by the fierce current.'
Her family then searched 'day and night — by land, air, and water,' Willis said — but the teen's body was found two days later, on Monday.
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'The family is going through the unthinkable right now,' Willis wrote of their overwhelming grief.
4 'The family is going through the unthinkable right now,' Willis wrote of their overwhelming grief,' family friend, Mikki Willis, said in a Facebook post.
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4 Cow Creek bridge over Rd. 1431 in the Texas hill country northwest of Austin, where the family drove off a bridge covered by flooding.
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4 Hammond's family then searched 'day and night — by land, air, and water,' Willis said, with her body being found two days later.
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'As the eldest, Malaya set the standard. Ask anyone who knows her, and they'll tell you: Malaya is one of the most gentle, compassionate young women they've ever met,' the family friend said.
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