A devastating flash flood along the Guadalupe River has claimed the lives of at least 51 people in Central Texas, including several young girls attending the beloved Christian girls’ summer retreat, Camp Mystic. The disaster struck in the early hours of Friday, July 4, when most residents and campers were still asleep. A flood alert was issued around 4 AM, but the waters rose too quickly for many to escape.
Among the confirmed victims are five young campers whose lives were tragically cut short: Renee Smajstrla, 8; Sarah Marsh, 8; Janie Hunt, 9; Lila Bonner, 9; and Eloise Peck, 8. The tight-knit camp community is now mourning the loss of its youngest hearts, whose summer of joy turned into unimaginable sorrow.
Camp Mystic’s director, Dick Eastland, died a hero—swept away by the powerful current while trying to rescue children from their cabins, according to KSAT. Jane Ragsdale, director of the nearby Heart O’ The Hills Camp, also lost her life in the flooding, though her camp was not in session at the time, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Search and rescue operations remain underway as several people are still missing. What was meant to be a joyful holiday weekend has become one of Texas’s most heartbreaking tragedies.
Photos from inside Camp Mystic reveal the haunting aftermath of the flash floods that swept through the Texas Hill Country, claiming 51 lives and leaving devastation in their wake. Backpacks lay scattered across the muddy ground, a drenched stuffed animal slumped on a stairwell, and pink and purple mattresses caked in thick layers of mud—silent witnesses to the terror that unfolded.
The powerful surge ripped through the camp with such force that entire cabin walls were torn away, and personal belongings were left tangled in tree branches and clinging to brush. Floodwaters rose halfway up cabin windows, giving campers little time to react.
“The camp was completely destroyed,” recalled 13-year-old camper Elinor Lester, who was evacuated by helicopter. “A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary,” she told ABC30.
What was once a summer sanctuary filled with laughter and friendship is now a disaster zone—a sobering reminder of nature’s fury and the fragile innocence that was lost.
While some campers were successfully rescued, local officials report that 27 girls from Camp Mystic were swept away by the raging floodwaters—several of them still inside cabins that were completely destroyed.
For many families, the wait for news is agonizing. Ashley Flack, whose daughter Annie was among those safely evacuated, shared a mix of relief and heartbreak. “There are lots of families missing, children and friends missing,” she told reporters. “Our daughter is safe. Our son is safe. The operation to get the girl camp out did a good job. It was very organized, and we’re still hoping and praying for good news—for friends that are hoping and praying for good news.”
As rescue teams continue to search the Guadalupe River and surrounding areas, the community clings to hope. The tragedy has cast a long shadow over what should have been a joyful summer, as families now wait, pray, and brace for what news may come.
As the names of the young victims of the Texas flash floods are confirmed, families are sharing heartbreaking tributes to the children whose lives were tragically cut short. Among them is eight-year-old Renee Smajstrla, whose family released a statement expressing their sorrow and gratitude.
“Thank you to all our friends and family for all the prayers and outreach,” her uncle wrote on Facebook, alongside a photo of Renee beaming on her final day at camp. “Renee has been found, and while not the outcome we prayed for, the social media outreach likely assisted the first responders in helping to identify her so quickly. We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life… She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic. Please continue to pray for the other families in Kerrville.”
Sarah Marsh, also just eight years old, was remembered by her grandmother, Debbie Ford Marsh, who shared: “Our sweet Sarah is gone! We will always feel blessed to have had this beautiful, spunky ray of light in our lives. She will live on in our hearts forever.”
The family of nine-year-old Lila Bonner spoke of their “unimaginable grief,” while Missy Peck, the mother of eight-year-old Eloise, painted a vivid picture of her daughter’s joyful spirit: “Eloise was literally friends with everyone. She loved spaghetti but not more than she loved dogs and animals.”
According to Fox 4, both Eloise and Sarah had just completed their second year at Bradfield Elementary School, their futures full of promise and possibility. Now, their families—and the entire state—mourn what has been lost too soon.
As the death toll from the catastrophic flooding in Texas rises to 51, the crisis continues to unfold across the state. At least 858 people have been rescued, and eight others have been injured as flash floods wreak havoc from the Hill Country to central counties.
The devastation isn’t limited to Kerr County. According to NBC News, additional fatalities have been reported in Travis, Kendall, Tom Green, and Burnet counties, prompting Governor Greg Abbott to expand the state’s disaster declaration to include 21 counties. More than 1,000 state responders have been deployed, and both the Texas National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard are conducting ongoing search efforts with helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly warned that while rescue operations remain a priority, the focus will soon begin to shift toward recovery—a sobering signal of the growing toll.
President Donald Trump addressed the tragedy on Truth Social, stating:
“The Trump Administration is working with State and Local Officials on the ground in Texas in response to the tragic flooding that took place yesterday. Our Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, will be there shortly.”
He added, “Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy. Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”
Even as the search continues, forecasts warn of more rain from San Antonio to Waco—threatening additional flash floods and compounding the heartbreak for families still clinging to hope. With the ground already saturated, emergency crews are racing against time and weather to locate the missing and support those who have lost everything.