A terrible flash flood ravaged Camp Mystic in Texas, killing at least 27 campers and left many more missing. Silvana Garza and Maria Paula, two teenage counsellors, talked about how scary it was for them during the accident. As the water rose, they made the desperate choice to write the campers’ names on their bodies in case they got lost or swept away.
The counsellors understood they had to move quickly to keep the kids safe. Maria recalled, “We began writing our names on our skin, anywhere that could be seen.” “We did the same for the girls and wrote their names where everyone could see them.” This horrible deed was the last thing they could do to make sure they could find out who the campers were if the worst happened.
The counsellors were told to put on a good face even if things were crazy and scary so the kids wouldn’t be scared. Silvana remembered, “They told us to smile so we wouldn’t scare the kids.” As things got worse, the counsellors told the girls to get ready to go by packing their bags and taking their favourite stuffed animals ¹.
Destruction and Chaos
When the news of the evacuation spread, the young campers went crazy. Silvana said, “All of the girls went crazy.” “Some were crying because they didn’t want to go.” Some people desired their parents. “It was terrible.” The girls didn’t have their cell phones and weren’t told right away of the fatalities. Silvana admitted that she didn’t completely understand how bad the catastrophe was until they were safely evacuated.
Efforts to respond and recover
The terrible floods caused a huge response from officials. More than 1,500 state workers were sent to help with search and rescue efforts. Camp Mystic put out a statement saying they were sad and thankful: “Our hearts are broken along with our families who are going through this unimaginable tragedy.” We are always praying for them. The whole country is watching and praying for the families that were hurt by this catastrophe ¹.
