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Three young girls were found dead after a devastating flood swept through Camp Mystic, an all-girls private Christian camp in Hunt, Texas.
Anne Hunt confirmed to Fox News Digital that her daughter, Janie, was one of the campers killed in the flood. Additionally, A Voice for the Voiceless, a nonprofit that advocates for “the missing, voiceless and crime victims,” identified Renee Smajstrla as the other deceased camper.
A third camper has been confirmed to be deceased. However, her family has asked that her name not be released.
Janie Hunt was killed when a flood ripped through Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, Friday. (Anne Hunt)
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said on Friday night that between 23 and 25 campers were missing. There were 750 attendees at the camp when the flood hit.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, shared photos Saturday of the damage to Camp Mystic, taken during a helicopter tour following the flood.
Buildings appeared to be either completely washed away, or reduced to rubble.
Aerial footage of Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas after deadly flood. (Rep. Chip Roy via X)
On Saturday, Kerr County announced the flooding killed 27 people, 18 of whom were adults and nine were children.
One of the deaths has been confirmed as Heart O’ the Hills camp director and co-owner Jane Ragsdale.
No children were staying at the nearby camp during the flood, as it was between sessions, according to a statement posted on the Heart O’ the Hills website.
“We at the camp are stunned and deeply saddened by Jane’s death,” the camp wrote. “She embodied the spirit of Heart O’ the Hills and was exactly the type of strong, joyful woman that the camp aimed to develop with the girls entrusted to us each summer.”
First responders scan the banks of the Guadalupe River for individuals swept away by flooding in Ingram, Texas, Friday. (Michel Fortier/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)
President Donald Trump posted about the tragedy on Truth Social on Saturday, confirming that the administration was working with state and local officials to respond to the tragedy.
“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!”
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Families have lined up at reunification centers hoping to see their loved ones. According to the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, Ingram Elementary School in Ingram, Texas, and The Arcadia Live Theater in Kerrville, Texas, are being used as reunification centers.
Families line up at a reunification center after flash flooding hit the area, Friday, in Ingram, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Camp Mystic, which had about 750 attendees, reportedly told parents that if they had not been contacted directly it meant that their child was accounted for.
Ellen Toranzo told Fox News Digital that her daughter, Greta Toranzo, is one of the campers who went missing during the flood. Carrie Hanna also confirmed to Fox News Digital that her daughter, Hadley, is unaccounted for.
Both girls remain missing, as of Saturday afternoon.
Split of Hadley Hanna and Greta Toranzo, who remain missing after floods in Kerr County, Texas. (Photos courtesy of Carrie Hanna and Ellen Toranzo)
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Elinor Lester, 13, told the Associated Press she was evacuated with her cabinmates by helicopter after wading through floodwaters. Lester also said that the “camp was completely destroyed” in the disastrous flood. The outlet noted that Lester was housed on higher ground at the camp, known as Senior Hill. Younger campers, who can begin attending at age 8, are housed along the riverbanks and were the first to flood, according to the Associated Press.
The National Guard was deployed in Texas to respond after heavy rain on Friday morning caused the Guadalupe River to rise nearly 30 feet in 45 minutes.
Families are reunited at a reunification center after flash flooding hit the area, Friday, in Ingram, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem later said that members of the U.S. Coast Guard deployed to assist in evacuations saved or assisted in saving 223 lives.
Helicopters and military vehicles were used for evacuations. As of Saturday morning, more than 850 uninjured people and eight injured people had been evacuated, including 167 by helicopter, according to the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office.
Texas deployed more than 1,000 state responders and over 800 vehicles and equipment assets, according to Gov. Greg Abbott’s office. The governor also declared an emergency for 15 counties, and his office said that more could be added to the list.
“This is a time when we, as a state, need God more than ever,” Abbott said in a statement. “The one thing I hear the most are the prayers that are being sent for those who are in harm’s way.”
Rep. Chip Roy shared helicopter photos of the damage to the iconic Hunt Store in Kerr County, Texas. (Rep. Chip Roy via X)
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“Our nation’s heart breaks for the victims in Texas and their families. Just an incomprehensible tragedy,” Vice President JD Vance wrote on X. “I hope everyone affected knows they’re in the prayers of my family, and of millions of Americans.”
The vice president, a devout Catholic, also included the Eternal Rest Prayer in his post.
The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging those with missing loved ones to call the Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767 for information.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
