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Yahoo
08-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Camp Mystic: 27 campers, counselors dead; still searching for 10 others
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Camp Mystic confirmed the deaths of 27 campers and counselors from flash flooding that swept through the camp in the early morning of July 4. According to an update posted on its website Monday morning, the camp said its community grieves their losses. Previous: Families confirm Austin children among Camp Mystic flood victims 'Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly,' the website read. 'We ask for your continued prayers, respect and privacy for each of our families affected. May the Lord continue to wrap His presence around all of us.' The families of two Austin Independent School District students who attended Camp Mystic confirmed their 8-year-old daughters did not survive the flash floods that inundated the camp. Linnie McCown was a student at Casis Elementary, according to her father Michael. Hundreds gathered outside the Tarrytown school on Sunday to mourn the elementary student, who her parents said, 'filled [their] hearts with so much joy we cannot begin to explain.' Family confirmed on social media Mystic camper Mary Stevens was also among those who did not survive the flooding. Stevens was a student at Austin ISD's Highland Park Elementary School. Camp Mystic is a near century old all-girls Christian camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River. The camp has been run by couple Dick and Tweety Eastland since they purchased it in 1974. The grandson of Dick Eastland confirmed on social media his grandfather, Dick, died 'saving the girls that he so loved and cared for.' On social media, several families from across Texas have confirmed that their daughters did not survive the historic flooding that deluged the camp. The family of camper Lila Bonner told KXAN she was among those killed in the flooding. In a statement, her family said, 'We ache with all who loved her and are praying endlessly for others to be spared from this tragic loss.' Images show aftermath of Camp Mystic flooding One of the deceased is Chloe Childress, 19, a former camper turned camp counselor. Her family sent out a statement to media Monday morning, in which they said that Chloe 'lived a beautiful life that saturated those around her with contagious joy, unending grace, and abiding faith.' The camp also said it has been in communication with authorities, who were 'tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls,' according to the camp's statement. According to the Kerr County Sheriff's Office, 10 campers and one counselor were unaccounted for as of Sunday evening. Trinity University posted a message from University President Vanessa Beasley to X on Sunday sharing Senior Aidan Heartfield and the young daughter of Trinity football offensive coordinator Wade Lytal 'remain among those missing after the devastating flooding along the Guadalupe River.' Lytal posted to X on Sunday that his daughter, Kellyanne, is one of the Mystic campers still unaccounted for. He told KXAN in a statement, 'Please ask for prayers for all those missing, their families and the men and women who are searching for our loved ones.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
8-year-old Austin girls, Linnie and Mary, among Texas flood victims from Camp Mystic
Two 8-year-old girls are the first from Austin to be publicly identified as victims of the raging flood waters that swept through Camp Mystic, their families and close friends confirm. Linnie McCown was a student at Casis Elementary in West Austin, her father, Michael, told the American-Statesman on Sunday. In an emotional social media post, he wrote: "She filled our hearts with so much joy we cannot begin to explain. We are going to miss her so very much but know she's up there shining bright." Mary Stevens, who attended Highland Park Elementary School in north-central Austin, also was among the victims, a family spokesman said. The spokesman shared a social media post written by her mother, Stacy, saying "you have left the most positive impact on everyone who knew you. I'm the luckiest that I got to be your mom and I will never stop loving you and trying to live life as you did. Fearless. Enthusiastic. Compassionate. And full of joy." "Our world is shattered but I have peace getting your letters and knowing you were having the time of your life at camp and had a dance party with all of your friends before the Lord decided to take you from us. He has bigger plans for you," Stacy Stevens wrote. More: Camp Mystic director Dick Eastland dies while trying to save girls from Texas floods Casis Elementary school is hosting a prayer vigil Sunday night for community families who have been affected by the Kerrville floods, according to a social media post from the school. Austin school district Superintendent Matias Segura said Saturday night he was 'heartbroken' that some district families had been impacted by the Kerr County flooding. 'We know that some of our families and staff may be facing loss or uncertainty and we are coordinating with our crisis and counseling team to provide support and any needed services to our families and staff in the days ahead,' Segura said. At least 59 people, 21 of whom are children, have died in the Kerr County flooding along the Guadalupe River. The floodwaters devastated an area home to numerous children's summer camps, including Camp Mystic, a private Christian camp for girls. Search crews have been looking for missing people since early Friday morning, when heavy rains filled river banks. Segura urged families to seek help from their principal so the district can provide assistance. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: 8-year-old Camp Mystic girls from Austin among Texas flood victims
