ONE of the youngest victims in the Texas floods was identified by a gift given to her by her grandmother.
Rescue and recovery teams continue to search for victims following the deadly floods, over a week since the calamity, as they work to clear the destruction left behind by the severe weather incident.
Janie Hunt, 9, was one of at least 27 Camp Mystic campers and counselors who were killed in the ruinous floods that ravaged Central Texas on July 4.
Many of the campers were young girls, ranging between the ages of 8 and 9 years old.
Margaret, Janie’s grandmother, shared that her granddaughter was identified thanks to a necklace bearing her name, which was a gift from her.
“She was in a play in May, and that’s when I gave her the little Janie necklace that she had on when they found the body,” Margaret told People.
“That’s how they knew it was Janie. She had on a necklace that, in beads, spelled out [her name].”
Her grandmother called her “brilliant” and “precocious,” and said that she “loved life.”
It was Janie’s first year at Camp Mystic, a girl’s camp in Hunt, Texas.
She had decided she wanted to go to be with her cousins.
“Perhaps most of all Janie will be remembered for her perpetual smile and the sheer joy she brought to everyone around her,” her obituary read.
During the first few days of camp, Janie had been a comfort to homesick campers.
“Janie was counseling them and telling them not to cry,” the grandmother said.
“She loved camp for the five days she was there.”
She also said that Janie had written her family letters from camp, writing that she loved her friends and “was having a wonderful time.”
“When asked what people can pray for, I say to pray for strength for Davin and Lindsey [Janie’s parents],” the grandmother mentioned to the outlet.
Donald Trump’s statement on Texas floods
“The Trump Administration is working with State and Local Officials on the ground in Texas in response to the tragic flooding that took place yesterday.
“Our Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, will be there shortly.
“Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy.
“Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”
“Not today, but in the days, weeks, months and years to come, because they’re going to need it.”
Margaret said the two were “taking comfort in small things, and the community has surrounded them with love.”
Janie is also survived by her two siblings: Henry, 7, and Julia, 2.
She was also a relative of Kansas City Chief’s co-owner Clark Hunt.
“Janie was the heartbeat of her family, always teaching how to live our lives in Christ,” her obituary said.
“She cherished her church experiences and practiced her faith in everything she did, always defending others who were being mistreated and providing sympathy to other children who needed encouragement.”
