Now, two surviving counselors, Silvana Garza and Maria Paula, are speaking out about the nightmare they endured — and the unthinkable decision they were forced to confront as the waters rose around them.
Reason behind the grim act
Two teenage counselors have shared their heartbreaking ordeal during the devastating Texas floods that have claimed at least 107 lives and left 160 people missing.
About 750 children were at the private Christian summer camp for girls, located along the banks of the Guadalupe River, when the floodwaters surged.
Silvana Garza Valdez and María Paula Zárate were at Camp Mystic’s Cypress Lake site when survivors evacuated from the main camp arrived there.
Then, Silvana and Maria faced an unimaginable choice — to write the names of the young girls they were caring for directly on their bodies, just in case they were also swept away by the raging waters.
“We started to write our names on our skin, anywhere that was visible,” Maria told Mexican news outlet NMas. “We did the same for the girls, wrote their names anywhere that was easy to see.”
This grim act was a desperate measure in case the campers and counselors were swept away and separated from their loved ones, so that their identities could be known.
The counselors then tried to shield the campers from the horror unfolding around them.
“We were told to put on a happy face so we wouldn’t scare the kids,” Silvana recalled.
“All of the girls started to go crazy”
The counselors urged the girls to prepare for evacuation, telling them to pack bags and bring along their favorite stuffed animals — hoping for safety, but fearing the worst.
“We didn’t know if we were going to be evacuated or not,” Silvana said. “We were just waiting.”
When news of the evacuation came, chaos quickly broke out.
“All of the girls started to go crazy, some were crying because they didn’t want to leave,” Silvana recalled. “Others wanted their parents. I really don’t know how to explain it. It was something awful.”
The girls didn’t have their cell phones at the time and weren’t immediately informed about the deaths. Silvana confessed that she didn’t fully grasp the scale of the disaster until they were finally evacuated.
At a news conference Tuesday morning, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha reported that five campers and one counselor remain missing as search and rescue efforts continue. Kerrville spokesperson Jonathan Lamb added Tuesday that the last live rescue took place on Friday.
1,500 state workers in the area
In a statement, Camp Mystic said, “Our hearts are broken alongside our families enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly.”
They also expressed deep gratitude to the community and first responders risking everything in the rescue efforts.
”We ask for your continued prayers, respect and privacy for each of our families affected,” they added. “May the Lord continue to wrap His presence around all of us.”
The devastating floods have prompted a large-scale effort from officials carrying out rescue and recovery operations.
Governor Greg Abbott reported that over 1,500 state workers have been sent to the affected areas to assist with the emergency response.
As rescue teams continue to search the floodwaters, the nation watches and prays for the families devastated by this tragedy.
