Facebook group reunites families with flood-lost treasures

• Persyn and friends joined the search for survivors in the flood's immediate aftermath. When a body was discovered, Persyn felt powerless waiting for officials.
• To cope, she began searching for personal effects such as clothing, jewelry and stuffed animals — an act that inspired a broader mission of healing and reconnection.

Zoom in: Persyn recruited her best friend, DeAnna Lindsay, to help run the "Found on the Guadalupe River" Facebook group, now nearing 40,000 members just one week after launch.

• "Our goal is to recover, preserve and reunite. That's all we want to do," Persyn tells Axios.

How it works: When someone posts about a lost or sensitive item, Persyn's team immediately removes the post and contacts the finder.

• Families are asked to provide a vetted liaison to ensure items are returned to trusted contacts.
• This process helps ease the burden on grieving families.

Many items are being reunited with families who lost loved ones, including children from Camp Mystic. Persyn says those families get extra care.

• "You're going to get your items back in the most special, reverent way possible," she adds.

What's next: Persyn urges anyone near the river to watch for stray belongings and contact the Facebook group. Admins coordinate returns and shipping.

• If you find personal belongings (not weapons or official IDs), don't turn them in to law enforcement — items may not be recoverable. Instead, contact a group administrator for guidance.
• Camp-labeled items can be returned to respective camp contacts or a group admin.
• For other items, post a photo in the group — or message an admin if it's sensitive.

What they're saying: "All of those things matter to someone," Persyn says. "I treat everything like it belonged to my grandchildren."