Following Friday’s devastating floods in Kerr County, one prospective UT student lost their life and another is still unaccounted for. Both girls served as counselors at Camp Mystic, where 11 children remain unaccounted for and about two dozen went missing.
According to an email given to the community by The Kinkaid School in Houston, Chloe Childress, 18, who graduated this year, perished in the flood. The Houston Chronicle reports that Katherine Ferruzzo, a 19-year-old who graduated from Houston’s Memorial High School and was scheduled to enroll at UT to study early childhood education, is still unaccounted for.
At a press conference on Sunday, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha stated that ten Camp Mystic campers and one counselor are missing.
According to the Kinkaid email, Chloe had an amazing ability to make others feel seen. She had a steady compassion that calmed a room, and she was smart beyond her years. Chloe created room for others to feel comfortable, respected, and courageous by expressing her personal struggles to lighten someone else’s load or subtly supporting a teammate or classmate during a trying day. In addition to helping to create a community, she knew what it meant to be a part of one.
The Houston Chronicle reports that Ferruzzo was still unaccounted for at the time of publication. According to the district’s statement, a number of girls from Ferruzzo’s school, which is a part of the Spring Branch Independent School District, have either passed away or are still unaccounted for. Regarding specific individuals, the district declined to respond.
“We ask that you continue to keep these families in your prayers during this extremely trying time, out of respect for their privacy,” the message said. Our community’s profound concern is reflected in your abundance of love and support, which has been a source of compassion and strength.
Both counselors were scheduled to enroll at UT in the autumn, according to a university official.
As Longhorns, we take time to reflect on our many blessings, remember the those who have passed away, and keep doing our share to help those in need. Jim Davis, the acting president, made a statement regarding the flooding in Central Texas.
According to The Washington Post, Childress and Ferruzzo served as counselors for the Bubble Inn cabin, which is located at Camp Mystic, around 150 yards from the river, and is home to some of the youngest girls. According to the Post, camp director Richard Dick Eastland was discovered with some of the campers and died while attempting to save girls in the Bubble Inn cabin.At 4 a.m. on Friday, NBC reported that the water had risen more than 20 to 26 feet in 90 minutes.
Founded in 1926, Camp Mystic is a Christian summer camp for girls located in Hunt, Texas, next to the Guadalupe River. The camp’s website states that it had been in the family for three generations before Dick Eastland and his wife, Tweety Eastland, both UT alums, took over as its owners and executive directors.
According to the website, their objectives are to foster each camper’s personal growth and to increase their self-confidence in the Mystic spirit. The Mystic traditions are still being upheld by Dick and Tweety.
At least 68 people have died in Kerr County as a result of the floods in Central Texas, including 40 adults and 28 children, the county sheriff announced during the press conference.
According to a sheriff’s office Facebook post, hundreds of local, state, and federal first responders, K9 units, and air, water, and ground vehicles are searching in the field.
Editor’s Note: The narrative is still in progress. As new information becomes available, the Texan will keep it updated.
