Young Campers Seen Crying and Singing Campfire Songs in Videos as They Evacuated amid Devastating Texas Floods
In videos shared on TikTok, a bus full of girls can be heard singing worship songs as they were driven to a reunification point to meet with their parents
"I wish you could see 'before' shots to show how truly devastating it is," the nurse wroteA nurse, who worked at the Christian summer camp where multiple girls went missing amid the devastating flash flooding that struck central Texas, shared footage of the campers' harrowing escape.
Camp nurse Devon Paige had been working at Camp Mystic — a 100-year-old camp that has served as a summer getaway for the likes of future first ladies and the daughters of presidents, per Politico — when the Guadalupe River began to surge amid historic flash flooding in the region on July 4.
In videos on TikTok, Paige detailed how many of Mystic's hundreds of campers escaped on buses and in the back of law enforcement vehicles as their belongings and cabins were swept away by the flood.
"This is footage from my evacuation and everything I saw," she captioned one video. "I wish you could see 'before' shots to show how truly devastating it is."
One clip showed a large group of girls sitting still in the back of a bus as they were driven to a reunification point to meet up with their parents — and all of them were singing worship songs during the ride "to try and calm everyone," Paige wrote.
Another harrowing clip posted on Paige's account showed the nurse and several other adults' reactions to the cars overturned by the flood and trees ripped from the ground, taken from the back of a law enforcement vehicle as they shouted, "Oh, my god!"
"Half the camp is on a hill," she wrote in a comment underneath the post, detailing how many staff members and campers came up to the top of the hill seeking safety. "We had no idea the magnitude."
Ten girls and one counselor from Camp Mystic are still unaccounted for, authorities said, per CNN.
Two families have also confirmed that they lost their daughters in the flood. Lila Bonner and Eloise Peck died after Camp Mystic was inundated by the rain-swollen floodwaters, Fox affiliate KDFW and NBC affiliate KXAS reported. Lila's death was also confirmed to PEOPLE by her relatives.
In a statement to PEOPLE, shared on Saturday, July 5, Lila's family said they were "heartbroken."
"In the midst of our unimaginable grief, we ask for privacy and are unable to confirm any details at this time," they added. 'We ache with all who loved her and are praying endlessly for others to be spared from this tragic loss."
Additionally, the Kansas City Star and The New York Times reported on Sunday that 9-year-old Janie Hunt, a relative of Kansas City Chiefs CEO and chairman Clark Hunt, was killed in the flooding. Clark's wife, Tavia Hunt, shared a post on her Instagram Stories, writing, 'Our hearts are broken by the devastation from the floods in Wimberley and the tragic loss of many lives — including a precious little Hunt cousin, along with several friend's little girls.'
Per the BBC, campers Sarah Marsh, a third grader, and 8-year-old Renee Smajstrla also died.
"Renee has been found and while not the outcome we prayed for, the social media outreach likely assisted the first responders in helping to identify her so quickly," her uncle Shawn Salta wrote on social media, according to the BBC.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
"We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday," Salta added. "She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic."
Additionally, Richard "Dick" Eastland, a father of four and the owner of the private Christian camp, is among those who have died, according to Texas Public Radio, The New York Times and other reports.
"[H]is last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers," a friend, Paige W. Sumner, wrote in a tribute to him in the local Kerrville Daily Times.
Dick and his wife, Tweety Eastland, had been with the camp since 1974 and were third-generation managers of the facility, which has been in their family since 1939, according to the Camp Mystic website.
Flooding in the Guadalupe River caused it to reach its second-highest height ever, ABC News reported. The area received at least 10 inches of rain, per San Antonio outlet KSAT.
Kerr County, which is approximately 50 miles northwest of San Antonio, has been hit especially hard by the floods. The city of Kerrville declared a state of emergency due to the floods, while Hunt (also in Kerr County) experienced more than six inches of rain in three hours on Friday, which is a "1-in-100-year event" in the region, according to CNN.
CNN reported that the flooded region experienced "more than an entire summer's worth of rain" in a matter of hours.
'This may be a once-in-a-lifetime flood," Clint Morris, a Kerr County Sheriff's Office spokesperson, told KSAT. He added that it was "an extremely active scene, countywide."
The Associated Press reported that as of Sunday night, the death toll has risen to 79, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said there were 41 people still missing across the state.
To learn how to help support the victims and recovery efforts from the Texas floods, click here.
Read the original article on People
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
22 minutes ago
- CNN
‘Hearts are broken': Camp Mystic confirms 27 campers, counselors killed in floods
Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp along the Guadalupe River, has confirmed that at least 27 campers and counselors died in the devastating floods that hit the Texas camp. CNN's Pamela Brown reports.
Washington Post
30 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Cherry tomatoes are summer's tiny treasures. Here's how to use them.
In the world of tomatoes, good things truly do come in small packages. Typically no larger than the size of a golf ball, cherry tomatoes are a prime example — with tender skin and a juicy interior, these tiny tomatoes offer a satisfying crunch and burst of concentrated flavor. At their peak, they're a seasonal treasure best savored raw, but their taste can deepen when roasted, sautéed or simmered, adding pops of sweet acidity to a wide range of dishes.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Front-Load Washing Machines Changed Laundry Forever. Why Are Top-Loaders Still So Popular?
GE Sometimes, more water actually is better, according to Eric Farrington, a former senior engineer at Whirlpool. It's the 'most important factor' for cleaning loads packed with mud and lint and other solids, Farrington said. Water helps loosen the particulates and then keeps them suspended so they don't redeposit onto the clothes. Front-loaders have certain cycles and settings that use extra water. And Andrea points out that you can shake, vacuum, or pre-rinse your clothes before you toss them into a front loader, if you have a really filthy load only occasionally. But top-loaders are better at washing away solid soils by default, and it's easier to find an affordable top-loader with an 'add water' or 'deep fill' option (including our favorite model) that can really flood the tub when it's needed. If you want a machine with a pounding agitation action — something that 'abuses the living tar' out of oil and grease stains and 'heavy, heavy stuff,' as Conrad put it — only an old-school top-loader will do. Most modern high-efficiency top-loaders don't hit as hard as the traditional machines did. (That's true even if they have a pole agitator, most of which are purely decorative at this point, as a few product managers have revealed to us.) But a couple of the old-school models are still in production, and it's not too hard to find refurbished secondhand units. Essentially a commercial washing machine without the coin slot, this tried-and-true model has barely changed in decades. It's rough, but sometimes that's what you need. Odor is another big difference. Top-loaders rarely get smelly, while front-loaders can really stink if they don't get a chance to dry out. The stench is usually avoidable if you're diligent about leaving the door open and doing some other basic maintenance, and it's less of a problem in dry climates. A few front-loaders also have a fresh-air ventilation fan. But water just doesn't pool and stagnate inside top-loaders, for the most part, and you won't have to put any effort into odor control. Farrington did point out that, just like front-loaders, high-efficiency top-loaders can develop biofilm; this is a sticky mix of cleaning products, bodily fluids, fungus, and bacteria that you might find building up around a washer's outer tub, detergent drawer, and drain lines. It's gross, and even though it probably won't stink, you should run self-cleaning cycles to mitigate the buildup. Another key difference between front- and top-loaders: ergonomics. Some people ('particularly the older crowd,' as Yale Appliance CEO Steve Sheinkopf put it) are more comfortable loading and unloading a top-loader because there's no crouching involved. Farrington also pointed out that a scrunched-up sock or T-shirt is less likely to be left behind in a top loader, because you can see the entire tub from the top. You could put a front-loader on a pedestal or a riser and get many of the same benefits, but that often costs extra. And in some situations, a top-loader can also be quieter. Front-loaders spin toward the ground, so if the machine isn't level, or if it's installed between the floor joists on an upper level of a wood-framed house, the spin cycle can sound like a plane taking off and even shake the building. Modern suspension systems have helped ease this problem. But because top-loaders spin parallel to the ground, they're still less likely to rattle the walls. They also tend to be lighter, so it's easier to adjust the legs or reposition the cabinet as needed.
