Latest news with #SilvanaGarza
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
These Mexican camp counselors put on 'brave faces' to protect girls during Texas floods
Two 19-year-old Camp Mystic counselors knew tragedy had unfolded in other cabins early in the morning hours of July 4. But they were responsible for the girls in their own bunk, who knew enough to be upset and worried. So the two teens hid their own fears and focused on distracting and entertaining the younger girls from the moment they awakened until they were evacuated by military vehicles around dinnertime. 'We had to put on brave faces so the girls wouldn't know,' Silvana Garza told the Mexican news outlet NMás. Garza and fellow counselor María Paula Zárate, both Mexican nationals at the camp for the summer, have been recognized for their heroism by Mexico's president. Their story has also gone viral on social media. Their crisis began in the early hours of July 4, as heavy rainfall knocked out the camp's power. The storm sounded like a scary movie, Garza said later. The camp, nestled between the banks of the Guadalupe River and its Cypress Creek tributary, had just begun its monthlong term for hundreds of girls. Attending Camp Mystic is a summertime ritual for generations of Texas families. The Christian camp is remote, about 90 miles northwest of San Antonio. Garza and Zárate were watching girls in the camp's newer site, up in the hills and away from the original campsite down by the Guadalupe River. It wasn't until hours later that the teens realized the original campsite, where they had slept just the week before, had been destroyed. At least 27 campers as young as 8 were swept away in the raging floodwaters. Nearly a dozen more remain missing. For hours, as Garza and Zárate waited for more information, they sang songs and played games with the girls. They instructed the girls to pack their belongings to prepare to evacuate. They had them put on name badgesand wrote their names on their skin where it was visible, Zárate said. If they had a favorite stuffed animal, counselors instructed them to bring it along with suitcases. Though the counselors tried to remain positive, the girls were scared. 'They wanted to be with their parents,' Garza said. Finally around 6 p.m., the counselors were alerted that more flooding was on the way. They had to evacuate. They passed through the original campsite by the Guadalupe River. Mattresses and clothes hung in the trees, Garza recalled to Univision 41. Tables floated along the river. 'I felt like I was in a dream,' she said in Spanish. 'I didn't think it was real.' In an evacuation center, 19 miles away in Kerrville, they saw similar damage of houses uprooted and turned aside. Cars were lodged in trees ‒ a sign of how high the water rose, Garza noted. Eventually, their campers were reunited with their families. Garza and Zárate also saw parents whose children were missing. "That was the worst part of the day," Garza told Univision 41. She later added, "I couldn't explain the feeling of being a parent and not seeing your daughter not being there." Garza had planned to stay for weeks at Camp Mystic, but she said she would return to Mexico early. From one day to the next, everything can change, Garza said. On the morning of July 7, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo expressed condolences for the lives lost in the floods. She also recognized Garza and Zárate for their efforts helping save camp attendees. 'They make us proud,' she said. Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@ or on Signal at emcuevas.01. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amid Texas floods, teen Mexican counselors protect Camp Mystic girls
Time of India
08-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Teen Counselors Hailed As ‘Heroes' After Saving 20 Girls From Texas Flood At Camp Mystic
/ Jul 08, 2025, 04:33PM IST Two teenage counselors at Camp Mystic, Silvana Garza and Maria Paula, became unexpected heroes during the devastating Texas floods. As floodwaters tore through the camp, the girls kept calm, told terrified children to pack bags and stuffed animals, and even wrote names on their arms, just in case they didn't survive. Their courage saved at least 20 young girls while 27 others from nearby branches tragically lost their lives. Eleven remain missing. Photos of the two teens have since gone viral, with Texans calling them "true heroines." Their mother's proud post is sweeping social media, while the statewide death toll has now climbed to 104.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Camp Counselors Say They Wrote Girls' Names on Their Bodies in Case They Were Swept Away by Texas Floodwaters
Two camp counselors recall writing names on the bodies of campers in case they were swept away by floodwaters during the Texas flood disaster on July 4 Silvana Garza and Maria Paula said that they "put on a happy face" for the campers, who began to panic after realizing the tragedy that was unfolding Camp Mystic confirmed on July 7 that 27 campers and counselors died due to the 'catastrophic flooding"Two camp counselors say they wrote girls' names on their bodies in case they were swept away by floodwaters during the Texas flood disaster. Silvana Garza and Maria Paula told Mexican news outlet NMas on Sunday, July 6, that they began to 'write our names on our skin, anywhere that was visible' as floodwaters began to rise near Camp Mystic on Friday, July 4, according to The New York Post. In the Spanish-language interview, the teenagers said they were working at a nearby branch when survivors who were evacuated from Camp Mystic arrived at their site. After writing their own names on themselves, Silvana and Maria said they 'did the same for girls' attending the camp, ensuring they were written 'anywhere that was easy to see.' 'At the time, we started to prepare our girls because we thought we were also going to be evacuated,' Maria said, according to the Post. 'We told them to pack a bag, to pack their favorite stuffed animal. We didn't know if we were going to be evacuated or not. We were just waiting.' The counselors were instructed to 'put on a happy face' in order to not frighten the campers. But the campers eventually caught on to the tragedy, and some began to panic. 'All of the girls started to go crazy, some were crying because they didn't want to leave," Silvana recalled. 'Others wanted their parents. I really don't know how to explain it. It was something awful.' The campers and counselors were eventually evacuated from their spot, after which they learned about the extent of the tragedy. Authorities in Texas have said more than 80 people died from the flash flooding, according to the Associated Press. Camp Mystic confirmed on Monday, July 7, that 27 campers and counselors died due to the 'catastrophic flooding on the Guadalupe River.' 'Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy,' the camp said in a statement. 'We are praying for them constantly.' 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. They added, "We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls." Camp Mystic said they "are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from community, first responders, and officials at every level." "We ask for your continued prayers, respect and privacy for each of our families affected," they added. "May the Lord continue to wrap His presence around all of us." To learn how to help support the victims and recovery efforts from the Texas floods, click here. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Camp Counselors Say They Wrote Girls' Names on Their Bodies in Case They Were Swept Away by Texas Floodwaters
Two camp counselors recall writing names on the bodies of campers in case they were swept away by floodwaters during the Texas flood disaster on July 4 Silvana Garza and Maria Paula said that they "put on a happy face" for the campers, who began to panic after realizing the tragedy that was unfolding Camp Mystic confirmed on July 7 that 27 campers and counselors died due to the 'catastrophic flooding"Two camp counselors say they wrote girls' names on their bodies in case they were swept away by floodwaters during the Texas flood disaster. Silvana Garza and Maria Paula told Mexican news outlet NMas on Sunday, July 6, that they began to 'write our names on our skin, anywhere that was visible' as floodwaters began to rise near Camp Mystic on Friday, July 4, according to The New York Post. In the Spanish-language interview, the teenagers said they were working at a nearby branch when survivors who were evacuated from Camp Mystic arrived at their site. After writing their own names on themselves, Silvana and Maria said they 'did the same for girls' attending the camp, ensuring they were written 'anywhere that was easy to see.' 'At the time, we started to prepare our girls because we thought we were also going to be evacuated,' Maria said, according to the Post. 'We told them to pack a bag, to pack their favorite stuffed animal. We didn't know if we were going to be evacuated or not. We were just waiting.' The counselors were instructed to 'put on a happy face' in order to not frighten the campers. But the campers eventually caught on to the tragedy, and some began to panic. 'All of the girls started to go crazy, some were crying because they didn't want to leave," Silvana recalled. 'Others wanted their parents. I really don't know how to explain it. It was something awful.' The campers and counselors were eventually evacuated from their spot, after which they learned about the extent of the tragedy. Authorities in Texas have said more than 80 people died from the flash flooding, according to the Associated Press. Camp Mystic confirmed on Monday, July 7, that 27 campers and counselors died due to the 'catastrophic flooding on the Guadalupe River.' 'Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy,' the camp said in a statement. 'We are praying for them constantly.' 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. They added, "We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls." Camp Mystic said they "are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from community, first responders, and officials at every level." "We ask for your continued prayers, respect and privacy for each of our families affected," they added. "May the Lord continue to wrap His presence around all of us." To learn how to help support the victims and recovery efforts from the Texas floods, click here. Read the original article on People
New York Post
07-07-2025
- General
- New York Post
Teen camp counselors describe harrowing moment they wrote girls' names on their bodies in case they were swept away in floodwaters
Two teenage camp counselors have recalled the harrowing moment they wrote the names of the young girls they were caring for on their bodies in case they were swept away in the raging Texas floodwaters. Silvana Garza and Maria Paula said they desperately put on a 'happy face' to keep the children calm as they prepared to evacuate a branch of Camp Mystic neighboring the one where at least five girls were killed and 11 are still missing. 'Us as counselors, we started to write our names on our skin, anywhere that was visible,' Paula Told Mexican news outlet NMas in a Spanish-language interview on Sunday. Advertisement 4 Counselors Silvana Garza and Maria Paula describe the moments they prepared to evacuate as raging flood waters rose around them. NMas/YouTube 4 Bystanders survey the damage at Camp Mystic. DUSTIN SAFRANEK/EPA/Shutterstock 'We did the same for the girls, wrote their names anywhere that was easy to see,' she added. Survivors of the neighboring private all-girls summer camp — where at least five girls are confirmed dead and another 11 remain missing — flocked to to the location where Garza and Paula worked as the Guadalupe River swelled. Advertisement 4 Furnitures lie scattered inside a cabin at Camp Mystic after deadly flooding. REUTERS As news poured in of the horror nearby, the pair said they were told to 'put on a happy face' to not scare the younger girls. 'At the time, we started to prepare our girls because we thought we were also going to be evacuated,' Garza told the outlet. 4 Stuffed animals on the windowsill of a cabin at Camp Mystic. REUTERS Advertisement 'We told them to pack a bag, to pack their favorite stuffed animal. We didn't know if we were going to be evacuated or not. We were just waiting.' At least 82 people have been killed in the historic floods — with dozens more people missing and the number of those killed only expected to rise.
