Chloe Childress, a counselor at Camp Mystic, was killed during the devastating flooding in Hunt, Texas, over the holiday weekend, according to a representative of her high school.
She graduated from The Kinkaid School earlier this year and was set to attend the University of Texas at Austin in the fall.
Jonathan Eades, the head of The Kinkaid School, remembered Childress as someone who had a “remarkable way of making people feel seen” and “steady compassion that settled a room.”
“Whether it was sharing her own challenges to ease someone’s burden or quietly cheering a teammate or classmate through a tough day, Chloe made space for others to feel safe, valued, and brave. She understood what it meant to be part of a community, and more than that, she helped build one,” Eades wrote in a letter to the school community.
While in high school, she was the co-president of her school’s honor council, ran varsity cross country and founded a club devoted to helping senior citizens, according to her LinkedIn.
According to Eades, Childress “lost her life upholding this selfless and fierce commitment to others.”
“A loyal and beloved friend to all who knew her, Chloe led with empathy. Her honesty gave others the courage to speak up. Her resilience helped others push through. Her joy, so present in all the little things, reminded all who knew her to keep showing up with heart,” he said.
Catastrophic flooding over the Fourth of July weekend in Texas left more than 100 people dead and many more are missing, according to officials.
By far, the greatest number of fatalities occurred in Kerr County, where 85 people are believed to be dead, according to officials, including 27 children.
There are several major camps in the area. At one of them, Camp Mystic, on the banks of the Guadalupe River, at least 27 of its 750 young female campers and counselors, including Childress, died in the flooding.
The Guadalupe River in Kerr County rose a staggering 26 feet in 45 minutes, officials said. The river reached its second-highest height on record, surpassing a 1987 flood level, according to the National Weather Service.