Texas Floods Kill 51, Including Young Campers at Camp Mystic
Severe flash floods struck Central Texas on July 4, causing devastation along the Guadalupe River and resulting in the deaths of at least 51 people. Among the victims were several children attending the Christian girls’ summer camp, Camp Mystic.
The floods began in the early morning hours, around 4 a.m., when most people were still asleep. The sudden rise in water swept through homes, cabins, and campsites. At Camp Mystic, five young girls — Renee Smajstrla (8), Sarah Marsh (8), Janie Hunt (9), Lila Bonner (9), and Eloise Peck (8) — lost their lives as floodwaters overwhelmed the camp.
Camp director Dick Eastland also died while trying to help evacuate children from their cabins. Jane Ragsdale, director of the nearby…
