A YOUNG woman was miraculously rescued after being swept 20 miles downriver in floods that have killed at least 24 and left 25 young girls missing.
The 22-year-old was swept away from her campsite in Kerr County, Texas, due to devastating flash floods at 4am and found hanging onto a tree four hours later.
A third of the annual rainfall hit the area in just a few hours, labeling it as an “extraordinary disaster” and prompting an extensive search-and-rescue operation that is still ongoing.
A resident of Center Point heard screaming when he stepped into his yard at around 8am on Friday morning.
He spotted the woman clinging to a huge Cyprus tree near Lion’s Park Dam as the river thundered beneath her.
She had for been holding on for several hours after a terrifying 20-mile journey down dams and dodging debris.
Emergency calls weren’t connecting, so the local resident desperately flagged down a police car for help.
Two rescue boats were scrambled and battled perilous currents to rescue the stranded camper.
By this time, the water level had receded considerably, so the woman was stranded 12ft above the water’s surface.
She was forced to drop into the rescue boat, and was finally brought to safety.
Other members of the woman’s family had been camping with her and were swept away when they tried to escape in a car.
Their condition is not yet clear.
The woman had suffered only minor injuries during her hellish journey downstream.
She recounted plunging down four dams and fighting refrigerators, vehicle and other debris along the way.
There are hopes that others missing after floods will be found clinging on somewhere like this woman.
Rescue workers labored throughout Friday night in a frantic attempt to locate two dozen girls who were carried away from Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp, by the Guadalupe River.
The camp said on Friday morning that the parents of missing children had been notified, but that most of the 750 kids were safe.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said on Friday afternoon of the missing girls: “That does not mean they’ve been lost. They could be in a tree or out of communication.”
Frantic parents and families posted photos of missing loved ones and pleas for information.
Local media has confirmed that among the missing girls are 9-year-old Laiey Landry, friends Eloise Peck and Lila Bonner, and Renee Smajstrla from the same cabin
The authorities have drafted in helicopters, specialised swimmers, drones and military vehicles in the hope of finding the girls alive.
Elinor Lester, 13, who was at the camp when the flood hit said it had been completely destroyed.
She said: “A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.”
Addressing the floods, President Trump said: “It’s terrible, the floods. It’s shocking.”
Asked if Texas would received federal aid, he said: “Oh yeah, sure, we’ll take care of it. We’re working with the governor.”
The flooding in the middle of the night on the Fourth of July holiday caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise.
The Texas Hill Country, which sits northwest of San Antonio, is a popular spot for camping and swimming, especially around the summertime holiday.
Questions have been raised about whether enough warnings and preparations were made.
Officials defended their actions while saying they had not expected such an intense downpour.
Even more heavy rain was expected on Saturday, meaning flash flood warnings and watches remained in place for parts of central Texas.
