() The Fourth of July weekend flash flooding on the Guadalupe River in Central Texas killed dozens of victims on Friday, including children.
As rescuers desperately search for dozens more still missing, this is what we know about those who lost their lives.
Jane Ragsdale, camp director
Jane Ragsdale, 68, was director of Heart O’ the Hills Camp in Hunt. It was one of the summer camps in hard-hit Kerr County that was in the path of flood waters. The camp was between sessions and did not have children present, but Ragsdale perished, Heart O’ the Hills said in a Facebook post.
“Jane wasn’t just our director, 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. Her kindness, strength, and wisdom shaped generations of campers and staff,” the camp said.
Sarah Marsh, 8, camper
Sarah Marsh, 8, of Mountain Brook, Ala., was a camper at Camp Mystic, the all-girls Christian camp near Hunt, Texas, along the Guadalupe River. The mayor of Mountain Brook announced the girl’s passing in a Facebook message, saying, “This is an unimaginable loss for her family, her school, and our entire community.
Richard Eastland, Camp Mystic owner
Camp Mystic owner Richard Dick Eastland, who was in his 70s, died while attempting to rescue campers as flood waters overtook the riverfront property, according to multiple media reports.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all that his last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers,” former camper and longtime friend Paige Sumner wrote in the Kerrville Daily Times. “He had already saved so many lives with the gift of Camp Mystic.”
Linnie McCown, 8, camper
Linnie McCown of Austin, a student at Casis Elementary School, was another camper who did not survive the flooding at Camp Mystic.
“It’s with the heaviest of hearts we must share that our sweet little Linnie is with the Lord in heaven,” her father, Michael McCown, said on Instagram. “She filled our hearts with so much joy we cannot begin to explain.”
Lila Bonner, 9, camper
The family of Camp Mystic attendee Lila Bonner confirmed to KXAN-TV over the weekend she was among those killed in the flooding. In a statement, the Dallas girl’s family said, “We ache with all who loved her and are praying endlessly for others to be spared from this tragic loss.”
Julian Ryan, 27
Ingram resident Julian Ryan, 27, died while trying to evacuate his family from their home near the Guadalupe River during the flash flooding. His fiancé, Christina Wilson, says Ryan cut his arm when he punched out a window so that she and her children and mother could escape. His body was recovered after flood waters receded, she said. An online fundraiser has been launched to assist his survivors.
