At least 11 girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp in Hunt, Texas, remain missing following devastating floods.
According to Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha, who stated at a Sunday press conference that “at least 11 Camp Mystic campers are missing, along with one counselor,” marking a decrease from the 27 initially believed to be unaccounted for.
The camp, which hosted around 750 young girls, was struck by catastrophic flash floods early Friday morning, causing the Guadalupe River to rise rapidly to the height of a two-story building. The floods have led to a significant rise in fatalities, with the death toll reaching at least 70 on Sunday as 6 million Texans remain under a flood watch.
Sheriff Leitha reported that “59 have occurred in Kerr County,” an increase from 43 deaths reported the night before. The victims include 38 adults and 21 children, with the identities of 18 adults and four children still unknown.
Search and rescue operations, which have entered their third day, have become some of the deadliest in recent Texas history, with pastors across the state urging prayers for the families affected.
Rescue teams “worked all night,” according to the Kerrville Police Department, ahead of a public update by state officials scheduled at 10 a.m. Central time in Austin.
Texas Public Radio reported that “at least 850 people have been rescued and dozens confirmed dead,” with 11 girls from the camp still unaccounted for after the Guadalupe River rose nearly 25 feet in 45 minutes.
Camp Mystic was founded nearly a century ago by a University of Texas football coach, with the goal of providing young girls a “wholesome Christian atmosphere” along the banks of the Guadalupe River.
Among the victims was Dick Eastland, the director of Camp Mystic, whose death was confirmed by his nephew in a social media post. Jane Ragsdale, co-owner and longtime director of Heart O’ the Hills Camp for Girls, also died in the disaster.
Governor Greg Abbott declared a disaster across 15 counties Friday, later expanding the declaration to Bexar and others. The state deployed more than 1,000 responders, over 800 vehicles, and multiple helicopters to assist in rescue efforts. Boats searched riverbanks and treetops, while makeshift aid stations accommodated the displaced residents.
