TX TX-Hunt, Overnight flooding at Camp Mystic, all girls camp. Unknown number of missing. July 4, 2025

[Dotta]

A Coast Guard Hero

https://twitter.com/x/status/1941703036725862403

To continue...

One man, Scott Ruskan,
a Coast Guard rescue swimmer,
has been credited with saving 165 people.

This was his first rescue operation,
said Rachel Ault, a Coast Guard spokeswoman.

There were 12 rescue helicopters,
including ones from the National Guard and the Army, on site at Camp Mystic.

PS
The surname was misspelled in the original quoted post.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/06/us/texas-floods-rescues.html

 

[lonetraveler]

It has been really heartbreaking following this story and all the lives lost. My heart goes out to the families who have lost family and are looking for their loved ones.

 

[Knox]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1941990979201888428

 

[Knox]

KERR COUNTY, Texas – The number of people killed in the Central Texas flooding is continuing to increase.

As of Sunday afternoon, 68 people, including 28 children, are confirmed dead in Kerr County, according to Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha. Ten girls and one counselor from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp on the Guadalupe River, are still unaccounted for, Leitha said.

Victims identified in deadly Texas Hill Country floods

The number of people killed in the Central Texas flooding is continuing to increase.

www.ksat.com

 

[teeby]

I'm trying to find a comprehensive list of known victims, but there doesn't seem to be one yet. I'm scouring a bunch of articles for names confirmed by officials or families.

I'm going to start one and add to it as we hear more.

Renee Smajstrla, 8, Camp Mystic
Sarah Marsh, 8, Camp Mystic
Janie Hunt, 9, Camp Mystic
Jane Ragsdale, 68, Heart O' The Hills (camp director)
Julian Ryan, 27, Ingram (arterial laceration while saving his family)
Katheryn Eads, 52, (camping in an RV)
Blair Harber, 13, (family riverside cabin)
Brooke Harber, 11, (family riverside cabin)
Bobby Martin, 46, (camping in an RV)
Amanda Martin, 44, (camping in an RV)
Lila Bonner, 9, Camp Mystic
Tanya Burwick, 62, San Angelo (car)
Anna Margaret Bellows, 8, Camp Mystic
Eloise Peck, 8, Camp Mystic
Dick Eastland, 74, Camp Mystic (camp director)
Reece Zunker, 36, (riverside cabin)
Paula Zunker, 35/36, (riverside cabin)

Linnie McCown, 8, Camp Mystic
Mary Stevens, 8, Camp Mystic
Wynne Naylor, child, Camp Mystic
Lainey Landry, child, Camp Mystic

Hill Country flood disaster: What we know about the victims so far

Dozens were killed after devastating flash floods stormed Kerr County the morning of July 4th.

www.khou.com

A Voice For The Voiceless, Inc.

💔 We are devastated to share the heartbreaking news that Lainey Landry has been found and is no longer with us. Her family has confirmed her passing, with her great-aunt writing to us directly,...

www.facebook.com

https://www.facebook.com/AVoiceForTheVoicelessInc/posts/pfbid02VmmwVHZN55LdEW8JqcpJNfs1oc3rRVSi4gsFqpmvHDT1fjvptHSwtixDhSxYWZzMl

 

[iamshadow21]

I'm usually not a big fan of hindsight unless it can be used to lessen or avoid future tragedies. Establishing a summer camp in a place called "Flash Flood Alley" is at the very least unfortunate. At most, accountability for the tragedy should include the person(s) who thought it was a good spot for a summer camp. Accountability is amplified by the fact that a seemingly similar incident that killed 10 campers occured in a nearby camp in the 90s.

Camp Mystic was established ninety nine years ago. I believe Heart O' The Hills was established in the fifties. I think you'd have to dig the founders up to berate them.

And obviously, there haven't been regular serious floods through the course of all that time, or the buildings would have been relocated to higher ground or the camps moved or closed altogether.

The ten campers killed in '87 were in a bus that was trying to evacuate them that ended up driving into the flood waters, there are pictures.

MOO

 

[musicaljoke]

I'm usually not a big fan of hindsight unless it can be used to lessen or avoid future tragedies. Establishing a summer camp in a place called "Flash Flood Alley" is at the very least unfortunate. At most, accountability for the tragedy should include the person(s) who thought it was a good spot for a summer camp. Accountability is amplified by the fact that a seemingly similar incident that killed 10 campers occured in a nearby camp in the 90s.

This history adds to the agony of what has happened. The loss of life is even more painful being complicated with the knowledge that this was a predictable occurrence. And so anger and deep grief are keenly felt.

 

[Knox]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1942006945780510861

 

[Knox]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1942019001971798200

 

[jennytrevor]

Camp Mystic was established ninety nine years ago. I believe Heart O' The Hills was established in the fifties. I think you'd have to dig the founders up to berate them.

And obviously, there haven't been regular serious floods through the course of all that time, or the buildings would have been relocated to higher ground or the camps moved or closed altogether.

The ten campers killed in '87 were in a bus that was trying to evacuate them that ended up driving into the flood waters, there are pictures.

MO

Just because previous floods weren’t in the exact same place does not mean that the camp wasn’t located in an irresponsibly dangerous place with improper safety protocols. You’re overestimating the foresight and regulations here by saying the buildings would have been moved. It’s a tragedy that they should have been moved and were not.

 

[Knox]

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Before heading to bed before the Fourth of July holiday, Christopher Flowers checked the weather while staying at a friend's house along the Guadalupe River. Nothing in the forecast alarmed him.

https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/article/texas-officials-face-scrutiny-over-response-to-20603678.php

 

[Eli9]

As I'm typing this I have one of those loud NWS alerts scrolling across my television about a flash flood alert. These alerts with their 3 times the volume sound cause my mostly deaf dog anxiety so I just mute them when they occur. They occur A LOT. Like most time it rains. They come across on my cell phone A LOT. Usually when it rains here in my area of Texas (San Antonio) it's like a torrential downpour that last's less than 20 to 40 minutes. I actually was talking to my husband who is out of town that the past two days have been so weird. We here have had light rain for two days straight. I can count one other day in the 9 years I have lived here that we have had light rain consistently throughout the day. But Texas has been in a drought for years and when that rain hits it hits dry ground. All of the roads around me have flood warnings with flashing lights and routes to follow. We know that in 6 inches of water a car can slide off the road. We just had 13 people die within the last month due to flooding near me, but we don't have river flooding for the most part. We, generally see the warning, and because they come with such regularity, waive it off. (I don't do this as it's like the streets are small rivers when it rains) Maybe we wait it out and stay home for an hour but this was so different. The storm cell literally sat over it's location and in essence is still pestering the area.
As a poster reported above these camps have been in existence for nearly 100 years. That many years can create a lot of faith in your location, and your resiliency.

Being near the disaster site we have had wall to wall coverage other than the Sunday morning televised sermons, and I have prayed and grieved not only the lost and missing but also the residents, their pets, their homes and their livelyhoods - but most of all the families left without their loved ones.

 

[iamshadow21]

So glad they are safe. It must have been terrifying being a guest in a foreign country and having to go through this.

This is very normal with this type of camp. There are many camps like this all over the U.S. Most of them almost always have an international crew on staff. The one I am familiar with had a large group from Eastern Europe as well as a few Brits. I remember my daughter having a friend from London and another from Ireland. Many of them come to either learn English or practice their English. The kids who don't speak English usually do non-counselor type of jobs such as custodians, cooks and kitchen staff. The people my daughter worked with were fascinated with the summer camp experience because they told her it was a unique American experience they only experienced in the movies.

Yeah, it's certainly something I think of as distinctly American. As an Aussie kid, the only camps I went to were a couple with Brownies/Guides and some with my church - one with our whole congregation and some with youth from our area. It certainly wasn't every summer with the kind of structure that these camps seem to have. My only exposure to that is tv shows and movies like the original Parent Trap.

MOO

 

[Doesitmakesense]

I've been trying to follow along. Have any of the little girls from the camp be found alive?

 

[iamshadow21]

I've been trying to follow along. Have any of the little girls from the camp be found alive?

Over seven hundred kids were there when the floods came. Most of them are safe and have been evacuated.

I believe there was a report of a girl floating on her mattress for a couple of hours before being rescued, but I don't know if she was a Camp Mystic girl or not. Her name has not been released.

MOO

 

[Eli9]

I've been trying to follow along. Have any of the little girls from the camp be found alive?

Yes, thankfully many have been rescued and sadly many are classified as missing as the child death counts climb.

 

[iamshadow21]

Texas floods reveal limitations of disaster forecasting under climate crisis

Texas’s ‘flash flood alley’ could bring even more floods in near future as Trump cuts compound with warming climate

www.theguardian.com

https://www.kxan.com/investigations/kerrville-didnt-have-weather-sirens-used-by-other-cities/

Texas floods: death toll rises as search and rescue turns into grim recovery operation

Residents observe day of prayer after 78 people killed and 10 girls and one camp counselor still unaccounted for

www.theguardian.com

‘A river with a temper’ returns to calm after wreaking deadly devastation in Texas

Terrifying flash floods from Guadalupe River left nearly 70 dead, many of them children, and miles of destruction

www.theguardian.com

 

[Tbone144]

78 dead at this point total. Looks like this includes the Georgetown flooding.

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[iamshadow21]

I'm trying to find a comprehensive list of known victims, but there doesn't seem to be one yet. I'm scouring a bunch of articles for names confirmed by officials or families.

I'm going to start one and add to it as we hear more.

Renee Smajstrla, 8, Camp Mystic
Sarah Marsh, 8, Camp Mystic
Janie Hunt, 9, Camp Mystic
Jane Ragsdale, 68, Heart O' The Hills (camp director)
Julian Ryan, 27, Ingram (arterial laceration while saving his family)
Katheryn Eads, 52, (camping in an RV)
Blair Harber, 13, (family riverside cabin)
Brooke Harber, 11, (family riverside cabin)
Bobby Martin, 46, (camping in an RV)
Amanda Martin, 44, (camping in an RV)
Lila Bonner, 9, Camp Mystic
Tanya Burwick, 62, San Angelo (car)
Anna Margaret Bellows, 8, Camp Mystic
Eloise Peck, 8, Camp Mystic
Dick Eastland, 74, Camp Mystic (camp director)
Reece Zunker, 36, (riverside cabin)
Paula Zunker, 35/36, (riverside cabin)

Texas flood victims: Everything we know

The death toll from the devastating Texas floods continues to rise, with further rainfall and flash floods expected Monday

www.independent.co.uk

'A trustee of this treasure': Heart O' The Hills camp director dies in Kerr County flooding

Friends and former campers remember Jane Ragsdale, who attended the camp, then became its leader.

www.keranews.org

'I’m not going to make it' | Man dies saving family from Texas Hill Country floodwaters

His arm was almost cut off when he punched out a window to save his family. First responders couldn't get to him in time. Now, Julian Ryan's family wants changes.

www.khou.com

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/05/us/texas-flood-victims.html

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

At least 51 dead in Texas floods, with dozens still missing from summer camp

Dozens dead in Texas floods as search continues for more than 20 missing from camp

www.nbcnews.com

8-year-old's body recovered in Hill Country floods

The mother of 8-year-old Anna Margaret Bellows confirmed to NBC 5 late Saturday night that her daughter's body was recovered.

www.nbcdfw.com

Kerrville Tivy soccer coach, wife found dead while 2 kids are still missing after catastrophic Texas floods

A high school soccer coach and his wife were found dead after floodwaters hit their vacation site on the Fourth of July. Their two kids are still reportedly missing.

www.kens5.com

Linnie McCown, 8, Camp Mystic
Mary Stevens, 8, Camp Mystic
Wynne Naylor, child, Camp Mystic
Lainey Landry, child, Camp Mystic

Hill Country flood disaster: What we know about the victims so far

Dozens were killed after devastating flash floods stormed Kerr County the morning of July 4th.

www.khou.com

A Voice For The Voiceless, Inc.

💔 We are devastated to share the heartbreaking news that Lainey Landry has been found and is no longer with us. Her family has confirmed her passing, with her great-aunt writing to us directly,...

www.facebook.com

https://www.facebook.com/AVoiceForTheVoicelessInc/posts/pfbid02VmmwVHZN55LdEW8JqcpJNfs1oc3rRVSi4gsFqpmvHDT1fjvptHSwtixDhSxYWZzMl

Kaitlyn Swallow, 22, Williamson
Jeff Wilson, 55, Kerrville (truck with camper)
Chloe Childress, 18, Camp Mystic (counselor)
Hanna Lawrence, 8, Camp Mystic
Rebecca Lawrence, 8, Camp Mystic
Holly Frizzell, 72, Hunt/Casa Bonita

Death toll climbs to 81 as flood-ravaged Texas faces more rain; Trump plans visit: Updates

Meanwhile, anguished parents waited for word on the 10 young campers still missing from Camp Mystic, which was hit hard by floodwaters.

www.usatoday.com

30-year Humble ISD employee, Kingwood Park HS teacher, dies in Central Texas flooding, district says

Humble ISD said Jeff Wilson, who worked in the district for three decades, was killed in the flooding that battered Kerrville County. His wife and son are still unaccounted for.

abc13.com

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/05/us/texas-flood-victims.html

Hill Country flood disaster: What we know about the victims so far

Dozens were killed after devastating flash floods stormed Kerr County the morning of July 4th.

www.khou.com

 

[IceIce9]

Just because previous floods weren’t in the exact same place does not mean that the camp wasn’t located in an irresponsibly dangerous place with improper safety protocols. You’re overestimating the foresight and regulations here by saying the buildings would have been moved. It’s a tragedy that they should have been moved and were not.

There are dozens of camps along the Guadalupe River, as well as a state park that offers campsites.