A girls' summer camp cut short by deadly disaster

Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' campy perched connected the banks of the Guadalupe River successful Texas, was a spot of laughter, prayer, and escapade conscionable days ago.

Among the girls astatine the campy was eight-year-old Renee Smajstrla, smiling ear-to-ear successful a representation taken connected 1 of those days - "having the clip of her life" with her friends.

But the adjacent day, the campy she, and truthful galore different young girls loved, turned into the tract of 1 of the deadliest flood disasters successful caller Texas history.

Smajstrla was among those killed.

"She volition everlastingly beryllium surviving her champion beingness astatine Camp Mystic," her uncle Shawn Salta wrote connected Facebook.

Photos amusement the eerie aftermath: the bunk beds are inactive determination - mud-caked and toppled over, the detritus of a summertime campy chopped tragically short.

Destroyed idiosyncratic belongings are scattered crossed soaked interiors wherever children erstwhile gathered for Bible survey and campfire songs.

At slightest 59 radical - among them camp's longtime director, Richard "Dick" Eastland, and respective young campers - person been confirmed dead.

Eleven of its campers and 1 campy counsellor stay missing. Many of the girls who stay missing were sleeping successful low-lying cabins little than 500ft (150m) from the riverbank, US media report.

Camp Mystic has been operated by the aforesaid household for generations, offering girls a accidental to turn "spiritually" successful a "wholesome" Christian atmosphere, according to its website.

Families from each crossed Texas and the US nonstop their daughters each summertime to swim, canoe, thrust horses, and signifier lifelong friendships.

But the quality of the Guadalupe River, which draws truthful galore to the area, besides proved deadly.

The floodwaters arrived with small warning, ripping done the picturesque riverfront country that is location to astir 20 younker camps.

Though Camp Mystic suffered the top losses, officials accidental the standard of the catastrophe is far-reaching.

Nearby, the all-girls campy Heart O' the Hills besides faced flooding.

Its co-owner and director, Jane Ragsdale, was among the dead. Fortunately, the campy was retired of league astatine the time.

A connection from the campy said, "Most of those who were connected campy astatine the clip person been accounted for and are connected precocious ground… We are mourning the nonaccomplishment of a pistillate who influenced countless lives and was the explanation of beardown and powerful."

Questions are present mounting implicit wherefore truthful galore camps were situated truthful adjacent to the river, and wherefore much was not done to evacuate the children successful time.

Congressman Chip Roy, who represents the area, acknowledged the devastation portion urging caution against premature blame.

"The effect is going to be, 'We've gotta determination each these camps - wherefore would you person camps down present by the water?'" Roy said.

"Well, you person camps by the h2o due to the fact that it's by the water. You person camps adjacent the stream due to the fact that it's a beauteous and fantastic spot to be."

As betterment efforts continue, families hold anxiously for quality of the missing. Search and rescue teams - immoderate navigating by boat, others combing done debris - are moving astir the clock.

Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said connected Sunday the hunt for survivors continued.

"Until we tin get them reunited families, we are not going to stop," City Manager Dalton Rice said.

Governor Greg Abbott has declared a authorities of emergency, and officials pass the last toll whitethorn emergence successful the days to come.