Bodies of missing Mobile couple, granddaughter recovered after deadly Texas flood
The bodies of Ileana Santana and her 5-year-old granddaughter, Mila Rose, were found on Tuesday, according to family members on Facebook. Rescuers recovered Eddie Santana Sr.'s body on July 11.
Ileana and Eddie Santana Sr. were staying at HTR TC Hill Country Campground in Kerrville with their son, Eddie Santana Jr., his wife Camille and their daughter Mila Rose when their cabin was swept away by the rapidly rising floodwaters. The Guadalupe River borders the campground, and water levels climbed 26 feet in just 45 minutes.
Santana Jr. managed to escape the flood waters after being sucked in by climbing onto a tree, where he held on for hours before being rescued. He was hospitalized with head and side lacerations and released on July 6.
On July 8, search crews recovered the body of Camille with her sister, Kali, confirming the news in a Facebook post.
134 reported dead, an Alabama girl reported among victims
The flooding has claimed the lives of at least 134 people, and crews are still searching for at least 101 individuals who are still missing. The hardest hit county, Kerr County, reported 107 deaths, with at least three dozen of them being children. It is reported that at least 97 people are still missing in the county.
Among the victims was Sarah Marsh, an eight-year-old from Mountain Brook, Alabama. She was attending Camp Mystic, a Christian retreat for girls located near the Guadalupe River.
Gov. Kay Ivey deploys special teams from Alabama to aid in search efforts
On Saturday, Gov. Kay Ivey announced additional Alabama firefighters have been deployed to assist in search and rescue efforts after her initial deployment of Alabama Task Force 1.
'Alabama's response to Texas is growing even stronger,' said Gov. Ivey. 'We are sending more boots on the ground from Central and North Alabama, and these brave men and women are trained, prepared and committed to making a difference. Our state is proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with Texas in this critical hour. As long as there's help to be given, Alabama will be in the fight.'
Two Type III Swift Water Teams were deployed to aid in rescue efforts. The teams are specially trained and equipped to operate in large-scale flood zones, as flooding continues and new forecasts warn of more to come.
Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at jlindahl@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Bodies of Mobile couple found after deadly Texas flood on July 4
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