In a heartbreaking tragedy that has deeply moved the nation, two young sisters were discovered lifeless, their small hands tightly clasped together, after devastating flash floods swept through Texas Hill Country.
Blair and Brooke Harber—only 13 and 11 years old—were enjoying a family getaway in Casa Bonita, a quiet gated community in Hunt, when the disaster struck in the early hours of Friday morning.
The region was hit by relentless, historic flooding that has tragically claimed dozens of lives across Texas.
According to a GoFundMe post shared by their aunt, Jennifer Harber, the floodwaters began rushing in around 3:30 a.m., violently jolting their father, RJ Harber, awake. The rain was so fierce and unrelenting that Jennifer described it as nearly drowning out the sound of water crashing through the cabin door.
In a final, heartbreaking message, Brooke texted her dad and grandparents simply: “I love you.”
RJ and his wife, Annie, acted quickly, their hearts pounding with fear. With no time to waste, they broke a window to escape their cabin, desperate to reach their daughters who were sleeping just a short distance away at their grandparents’ cabin—Mike and Charlene Harber.
But the floodwaters showed no mercy.
In a frantic bid to save their girls, RJ and Annie sprinted to a neighbor’s house, pounding on the door until someone answered. They borrowed a kayak, clinging to hope as they tried to navigate the raging current toward their daughters.
Yet the river’s fury was overwhelming. The violent waters proved too strong, forcing them to retreat. Ultimately, RJ, Annie, and five neighbors were rescued—but the search for their children continued.
Twelve agonizing hours later, and nearly 15 miles downstream, rescuers made the heart-wrenching discovery: Blair and Brooke. Their aunt Jennifer told KLOU that the sisters were found with “their hands locked together,” a haunting symbol of their unbreakable bond even in tragedy.
Meanwhile, the girls’ grandparents—Mike and Charlene Harber—remain missing, their fate still unknown.
Blair and Brooke were beloved students at St. Rita’s Catholic School in Dallas, where their mother, Annie, works as an instructional specialist. The family had set out on what was meant to be a joyful summer getaway, never anticipating the nightmare that awaited them.
Jennifer remembered Blair as “a gifted student with a generous, kind heart,” while RJ described Brooke as “a radiant light in any room—someone who drew people in with her laughter and made every moment brighter.”
Both sisters had brought their rosary beads with them on the trip—a quiet testament to their deep faith and the strength it gave their family during this unimaginable tragedy.
The Harbers had been staying in two separate cabins. Mike and Charlene had accepted a neighbor’s offer to stay in a larger home, hoping for a more comfortable night with the girls. Tragically, that decision would prove fatal.
As the flood death toll in Texas climbs beyond 80, with more than 40 still missing, the Harber family holds tightly to their faith and the precious memories of Blair and Brooke.
Search efforts for the grandparents continue tirelessly. Meanwhile, a grieving father clings to one heartbreaking image: his two daughters, bound together by love, united even in their final moments.