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07 Jul, 2025
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Unveiling the Faces and Stories Behind Texas Flood Victims
@Source: internewscast.com
At least 82 people were killed and dozens are missing after devastating flash floods swept through Texas on the Fourth of July. The death toll is expected to rise and Gov. Greg Abbott said Sunday that there were 41 people confirmed to be missing and ‘there could be more.’ Survivors have described the floods as a ‘pitch black wall of death’ and said they received no emergency warnings. Authorities are facing criticism for not alerting residents and summer camps along the river sooner about the dangerous weather conditions or advising them to evacuate. Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls, saw 27 campers and counselors lost after the Guadalupe River overflowed, rising up to 30 feet beyond its normal level. Ten girls and a counselor were still unaccounted for at Camp Mystic as of Monday morning. Here is what we know about all the victims who lost their lives in the flood: Julian Ryan, 27 – Died saving his family Heroic father Julian Ryan, 27, used his final moments to save his family from the fast-moving waters. A father of two heroically broke through a window of their Kerrville home, located near the Guadalupe River, to assist his mother, fiancée, and their 6-year-old and 13-month-old children in making it to the roof. Despite the severe injury, Ryan stayed focused on getting his family out safely. But with emergency responders unable to reach them in time, the father of two succumbed to his wounds hours later. But, the glass tore through his arm, severing an artery and nearly detaching the limb. His final words were, ‘I’m sorry, I’m not going to make it. I love y’all.’ Reece and Paula Zunker High school soccer coach, Reece Zunker, and his wife, Paula were among those who died in the devastating floods that swept through Texas on Friday. Reece was teacher and soccer coach at Tivy High School in Kerrville, and Paula was formerly a teacher at the school. The couple’s two young children, Lyle and Holland, were both still missing as of Sunday afternoon. ‘It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of one of our beloved teachers, Reece Zunker, and his wife, Paula, who tragically lost their lives in the flash flood on July 4th,’ the Kerrville Independent School District said in a statement. ‘Reece was a passionate educator and a beloved soccer coach. His unwavering dedication to our students, athletes, and the Tivy community touched countless lives and will never be forgotten. ‘Paula, a former Tivy teacher, also left a lasting mark on our community. The care and impact she shared with her students continue to be felt, even years later.’ Jeff Wilson, 55 – Beloved teacher Longtime high school teacher Jeff Wilson, 55, died while camping near the river with his wife and son. ‘Jeff worked in #HumbleISD for 30 years at both Humble High School and Kingwood Park High School. He was a beloved teacher and co-worker to many and will be deeply missed,’ the school district said. His wife, Amber Wilson, and their 12-year-old son, Shiloh, are still considered missing. According to their relatives, the family was camping in the area to attend a youth rodeo. Renee Smajstrla, 8 The family of eight-year-old Renee Smajstrla has confirmed that she was among those who lost her life during the tragic floods. Her uncle, Shawn Salta, shared on Facebook: ‘We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday. ‘She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic.’ Janie Hunt, 9 – Cousin of the Kansas City Chiefs owner The mother of Dallas girl Janie Hunt confirmed to local media her daughter was one of the campers killed in the flood. ‘We are just devastated,’ she told NBC 5 . The wife of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, Tavia, revealed that Janie is a young relative of their family. Sarah Marsh, 8 Alabama native Sarah Marsh died after the waters swept through Camp Mystic, according to her family. ‘Thank you for the outpouring of love and sympathy! 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! We love you so much sweet Sarah,’ her grandmother said, according to The Kerrville Daily Times. Lila Bonner, 9 – Attending camp with her best friend The family of Lila Bonner, who was sharing a cabin at the camp with her best friend Eloise Peck, confirmed her passing to NBC News. ‘In the midst of our unimaginable grief, we ask for privacy and are unable to confirm any details at this time,’ the family said. ‘We ache with all who loved her and are praying endlessly for others to be spared from this tragic loss.’ Eloise Peck, 8 Dallas girl Eloise Peck, who recently finished second grade at Bradfield Elementary with her best friend Lilia, also died in the flood. ‘Eloise was literally friends with everyone. She loved spaghetti but not more than she loved dogs and animals,’ her mother, Missy Peck, told FOX 4. ‘She passed away with her cabinmate and best friend Lila Bonner who also died. Eloise had a family who loved her fiercely for the 8 years she was with us. Especially her Mommy.’ Blair Harber, 13 – Died holding on to younger sister Two sisters, Blair and Brooke Harber, were among those who were killed in the deadly Texas floods. They were not attending Camp Mystic when the natural disaster struck. The sisters were with their grandparents at a cabin along the Guadalupe River when they were swept away, reported FOX 4. The girls’ parents were staying at another cabin and are safe. Their grandparents, Charlene and Mike Harber, are missing. As the parents were desperately searching for the girls, they checked their phones and saw they each received a text from their daughters that read ‘I love you’, timestamped at 3.30am. The girls also sent a similar message to their grandfather in Michigan. Brooke Harber, 11 Brooke Harber, Blair’s younger sister, was confirmed dead over the holiday weekend. The sisters were found holding hands. Blair and Brooker were eighth grade and sixth grade students respectively at St. Rita Catholic School, according to their priest, Father Joshua J. Whitfield. ‘Even if we may never fully understand why such tragedies happen, we are called to respond with love, compassion, and prayer,’ Whitfield said. ‘We will honor Blair and Brooke’s lives, the light they shared, and the joy they brought to everyone who knew them.’ Richard ‘Dick’ Eastland, 70 – Hero camp director Beloved Camp Mystic Director Richard ‘Dick’ Eastland, 70, died while trying to rescue campers from the biblical rushing waters. Eastland’s nephew, Gardner Eastland, confirmed the death in a Facebook post on Saturday. The camp director’s wife, Tweety, was found safe at their home, according to Texas Public Radio. Father-of-four Eastland died in a helicopter on the way to a Houston hospital, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly told the Washington Post. The Eastlands have owned and operated Camp Mystic since 1974, and many viewed him as a father figure at the camp. Chloe Childress, 18 Camp Mystic counselor Chloe Childress also lost her life in the disaster. The Kinkaid School graduate was about to start studying at the University of Texas at Austin in the fall. ‘Whether it was sharing her own challenges to ease someone’s burden or quietly cheering a teammate or classmate through a tough day, Chloe made space for others to feel safe, valued, and brave,’ Jonathan Eades, the head of The Kinkaid School, wrote in a letter to the school community. ‘She understood what it meant to be part of a community, and more than that, she helped build one.’ John Burgess, 39 Father-of-three John Burgess, 39, was killed while the camping with his family at the HTR TX Hill Country Campground in Ingram for the Fourth of July. His wife, Julia Anderson Burgess, 38, and two of their sons, five-year-old Jack and one-year-old James, are still missing, according to their family. Their daughter, Jenna, was attending a nearby camp and returned home safely. Jane Ragsdale, 68 Director of Heart O’the Hills Camp, a summer camp for girls in Texas Hill Country, Jane Ragsdale, died in the flood. She was a camper and counselor there herself in the 1970s before becoming a co-owner. By the 1980s, she was director of the camp in Hunt. ‘She was the heart of The Heart,’ the camp said in a statement. ‘She was our guiding light, our example, and our safe place. She had the rare gift of making every person feel seen, loved, and important.’ Since the camp was between sessions, no children were staying there when the floodwaters rose. Tanya Burwick, 62 – Grandmother heading to work The last time Tanya Burwick’s family heard from her was a frantic phone call about the floodwaters as she headed to work at a Walmart early Friday in the San Angelo area. When Burwick didn’t show up for work, her employer filed a missing persons report and sent a colleague to look for her. Police investigating the 62-year-old’s disappearance found Burwick’s unoccupied SUV fully submerged later that day. Her body was found the next morning blocks from the vehicle. ‘She lit up the room and had a laugh that made other people laugh,’ said Lindsey Burwick, who added that her mom was a beloved parent, grandparent and colleague to many. Katheryn Eads, 52 Beloved matriarch Katheryn Eads was camping with her husband Brian in Hill Country, Texas, when the waters came rushing in. Brian told the New York Times, him and his wife were swept out of a truck by the water when he was hit in the head by the debris and lost track of her. Eads was a professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio and a proud mother of three daughters and four grandchildren. Bobby and Amanda Martin – Family camping trip Bobby Martin, 46, and his wife Amanda Martin, 44, were camping with a group of six people at HTR TX Hill Country Campground in Kerrville over the holiday weekend. Bobby’s son Bailey, an Odessa police officer, and his girlfriend were with the group and are still missing, according to the Houston Chronicle. Two of their other children had been rescued after they took refuge in a tree.
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