Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp nestled in Texas Hill Country, experienced catastrophic flooding that swept through a central portion of the state on Friday, July 4
The death toll in the region reached at least 67 people as of Sunday, July 6
Camp Mystic’s director and co-owner Richard “Dick” Eastland reportedly died while trying to help rescue some of the children
Texas families are praying for hope and help while officials say nearly a dozen young campers are still missing days after deadly flooding swept through an annual summertime retreat.
Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp nestled in Texas Hill Country, experienced catastrophic flooding that swept through a central portion of the state on Friday, July 4.
In the days since the natural disaster, the camp has emerged as a central site of destruction and photos show how its property and the surrounding area were wrecked by the weather.
“It didn’t look like Camp Mystic anymore,” 13-year-old Stella Thompson, who was evacuated from the camp, told KXAS.
“You’d see kayaks in trees and it was kind of horrific because we had no idea,” she said, describing emergency workers searching the water and how “there were huge trees ripped out of the ground.”
The total death toll in the region had reached at least 67 people as of Sunday, July 6, according to CNN, as first responders continue search and rescue operations.
By Sunday morning, 11 campers and a counselor were still unaccounted for, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said, per the outlet.
Victims from the camp include Lila Bonner and Janie Hunt, their loved ones confirmed to PEOPLE.
Intense rains caused the Guadalupe River, next to the camp, to rise — quickly: It reached 26 feet in only about 45 minutes, according to the Associated Press.
Other campers staying on higher ground were able to be evacuated via military vehicles by Friday evening, NBC affiliate KXAS reported.
Camp Mystic’s director and co-owner Richard “Dick” Eastland died while trying to help rescue some of the children, The Kerrville Daily Times reported on Saturday, July 5.
He and his wife, Tweety, had been affiliated with camp for about five decades and were the third generation to manage it, PEOPLE previously reported.
Camp Mystic was established in 1926, according to its website.
“Camp Mystic’s Dick Eastland no doubt gave his life attempting to save his campers. For decades he and his wife Tweety poured his life into loving and developing girls and women of character,” Rep. August Pfluger, who represents Texas’ 11th Congressional District just north of the camp, wrote on X Saturday.
“Thank you Mr. Eastland. We love you and miss you.”