'The real heroes': Teens and rescuers save lives in Texas floods
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Search and recovery workers dig through debris looking for survivors of the flooding in Kerr County, Texas. Photo: Jim Vondruska/Getty Images
Even as floodwaters rose with terrifying speed, people sprang into action, making split-second decisions that helped save lives in Kerr County, Texas.
The big picture: From camp counselors guiding children to safety in the dark to first responders navigating dangerous conditions, stories of courage are emerging from the chaos.
Between the lines: No single account can capture the full scope of heroism in the Hill Country since early Friday.
- Hundreds of volunteers and rescue crews continue to work across miles of wreckage.
Here are a few of the stories.
Silvana Garza Valdez and María Paula Zárate
The Camp Mystic counselors told Foro TV, a Mexican news station, that the storm woke them in the middle of the night.
- Garza Valdez and Zárate said they gathered the campers and used permanent markers to write the girls' names and ages on their arms to identify them if the worst happened. They then moved the group to a nearby dining hall for safety.
- Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum publicly recognized the two young women Monday morning, saying she was "very proud."
Scott Ruskan
Scott Ruskan, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer based in Corpus Christi, was deployed to Camp Mystic on Friday. Speaking to "Good Morning America," he described it as one of the most difficult flying conditions he's faced. It was his first mission in his one-year career.
- "When I got on scene, there were 200 kids looking to someone for comfort and safety," he said. "They don't know my experience, my rank or my age. They just see someone who's here to help — and I had to live up to that. The real heroes, I think, are the kids on the ground."
- The Department of Homeland Security applauded Ruskan's 65 aircrew members, including Lt. Ian Hopper, Lt. Blair Ogujiofor and flight mechanic Seth Reeves.
La Junta counselors
Roughly five miles upstream from Camp Mystic, young counselors at Camp La Junta moved about 150 boys to higher ground. A volunteer who goes by @DavidEReal4 on X told Sky News they instructed the boys to climb into the rafters of a cabin.
- "Their feet still got wet, but if the water had risen just a few feet more, they all would've been lost," he said. "Those young men and adults who saved all those kids — they're the real heroes."
- According to the volunteer, the boys declined to be identified.
Emma Foltz
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry recognized the Camp Mystic counselor and Louisiana Tech senior on Sunday.
- "She played an instrumental role in helping evacuate 14 of her campers to safety. Please join me in thanking Emma for all her hard work and bravery under immense pressure," he wrote online.