A peaceful summer at Camp La Junta was transformed to a fight for life and death. Floods of more than 10 inches in a matter of hours pushed the Guadalupe River racing nearly 30 feet and unleashing one of deadliest flash floods in Texan history. Two young brothers, Piers and Ruffin Boyett, lived through it and are now sharing their story.
“It was like we woke up at 4 a.m., and water was already touching the top bunk,”
said Piers with eyes still wide with ongoing astonishment. Their cabin was on a bluff overlooking the river and was shaking because water was seeping through the walls.
“The walls… they broke down,”
Ruffin added.
“All of us had to get up on the rafters. There was only one choice we had to swim out.”
With nothing but lightning to light the way, the Boyetts and their fellow campers swam through debris-filled floodwaters, escaping to hillside cabins. For 17 long hours, they waited in those cabins, soaked and shaken, until buses could evacuate them.
“We’re thankful no one died,”
Ruffin said.
“But it was not fun. On the way out, we saw other camps just obliterated.”
Their survival is a rare story of hope amid a grim backdrop just downstream at Camp Mystic, where the toll is devastating.
Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp hosting around 750 girls aged 8 to 18, was one of the hardest hit. With cabins closer to the Guadalupe River than La Junta’s, the camp suffered catastrophic flooding. At least 27 people have been confirmed dead, including nine children. Among the victims are Renee Smajstrla, 8, and Janie Hunt, 9.
As of July 5, 23–27 girls remain missing. Helicopters, drones, and over 1,000 emergency personnel have been deployed in a desperate search. More than 850 people have been rescued, including 237 airlifted. Access roads are washed out, and the camp is without power, water, or communication, complicating efforts.
In a press statement, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick urged the public to pray.
“There are still girls out there. We need serious praying on your knees.”
Photos of the missing, shared widely by Sinclair Elementary families and local churches, continue circulating on social media in the hope of reunification.
The flash flood was fueled by remnants of Tropical Storm Barry, which dropped more than a foot of rain across Texas Hill Country known as “Flash Flood Alley” where steep terrain and shallow soil lead to rapid water runoff. The Guadalupe River rose nearly 30 feet in under two hours, overwhelming everything in its path.
Despite National Weather Service alerts, many families say they never received evacuation warnings. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly admitted,
“We didn’t know this flood was coming. There was no effective warning system.”
As shock turns into scrutiny, Camp Mystic’s preparedness is under fire. Parents are questioning why younger campers housed closest to the river weren’t moved sooner, especially after older girls on higher ground were evacuated first.
While the Boyett brothers’ survival story brings a measure of relief, the grief in Kerr County is far from over.
“I saw cabins underwater, camps just gone,”
Ruffin said.
“We were lucky.”
Meanwhile, while activities continue by FEMA and the Red Cross and by the Texas National Guard, Governor Greg Abbott hasissued a disaster proclamation for 14 and also for Kerr County.
This disaster, amongst the worst natural disasters to strike the state in recent years, emphasizes further improvement of flood response infrasctrure and real-time early warning systems.
If you would like to donate, officials recommend contributing to recognized disaster relief funds and local shelters offering relief to affected families.
“We woke up floating,”
Ruffin explained quietly.
“And we didn’t know if we were going to make it.”
