The disastrous images from Texas after the massive flash flood have left everyone affected. The tragic stories coming out from the southern state about how people desperately tried to save their lives are heartbreaking, and now, another one of those has been told.
Speaking with the NY Post, one resident shared how a husband refused to let go of his baby’s hand while clinging to a tree, and was swept away in the raging flood.
More than 100 people have died in the massive flash flood in Texas. The rescue operation is ongoing as many are still missing, and the devastation has no limit.
The girls’ camp Camp Mystic has confirmed that at least 27 children and counselors have died, and at the time of writing, 11 are still missing.
“Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly,” the camp wrote in a statement on their website, adding that they are in contact with local authorities, continuing the search for “missing girls.”
“We ask for your continued prayers, respect, and privacy for each of our families affected. May the Lord continue to wrap His presence around all of us,” the statement ended.
Resident shares haunting story of father being swept away with his babies
In the middle of the immense nightmare, people died while trying to save the lives of others. Camp Mystic director Dick Eastland was one of those trying to get children to safety, but sadly, he passed away.
“If he wasn’t going to die of natural causes, this was the only other way, saving the girls that he so loved and cared for,” his grandson, George Eastland, wrote on Instagram, ABC reported. “A husband, father, grandfather, and mentor to thousands of young women, he no longer walks this earth, but his impact will never leave the lives he touched.”
As the days since the horrific flash flood go by, more and more witnesses are coming forward with haunting stories of what they were forced to witness. One person, Lorena Guillen, who owns the Blue Oak RV Park in Kerr County, the region hit hardest by the catastrophic floods, recalled a tragic moment when a father clung to a tree while holding his babies and refused to let the children be taken by residents trying to help. Soon after, they were all swept away.
“My husband was in the water trying to ask them, ‘Please throw me your baby!’ The man was holding tight to his babies, and he just got swept away,” Lorena Guillen told the NY Post.
We heard people screaming throughout the night
The dad has been identified as John Burges, who lived in Liberty, Texas, KWTX reported. His wife, Julia, and his two sons are still missing. Meanwhile, their daughter, who was staying at a nearby summer camp, is safe. The family had stayed at the RV park Guillen owns for the Fourth of July weekend.
“The kids were so excited to be here,” Guillen continued. She said that the entire RV park was destroyed and that she would never forget the horrific screams of those being washed away.
“We heard people screaming throughout the night. The cabins from the RV park next door came floating, and they were getting smashed against the trees. ‘Help me! Help me!’ — that was the main thing. You heard a lot of screaming, it was just too much.”
Lorena Guillen added that she couldn’t sleep, and in the middle of the night, she went down to the edge of the water.
“My husband and I ran down. By then, the first level of the RVs were already washing away. The river went up about 10 feet at that time. A family of five was stranded because they were the ones closest to the river. Their RV was floating away. It was pitch black, it was so dark,” she concluded.
We will never forget those who have lost their lives in this immense tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families.
