More than 25 girls are missing from a 99-year-old Christian summer camp in Texas after deadly flooding swept the Southern state this weekend.
Camp Mystic, located in Hunt, Texas, was hosting 750 children this week when heavy rain caused water from the
Guadalupe River to flood in the early morning hours July 4.
As of Saturday,
at least 27 girls from Camp Mystic were unaccounted for, according to Texas officials. Following the early morning flooding, Camp Mystic said in an email to parents that if they have not been contacted, their child is accounted for, NBC News reported.
Texas Game Wardens said Friday evening that they
reached the camp with vehicles to rescue people and bring them to safety. In an
update Saturday, the U.S. Coast Guard said it rescued 15 campers via helicopter on July 4.
In Kerr County, the flash floods have killed at least 43 people, including 15 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said July 5.
Three campers who were killed by the floods were identified by their families as Lila Bonner, Renee Smajstria and Janie Hunt, per
NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.
The families of Eloise Peck, Wynne Naylor and Hadley Hanna, told the station that their daughters were among those missing from Camp Mystic. The mother of Renee Smajstrla told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth that her daughter shared a cabin with Eloise and Lila.
What is Camp Mystic?
Camp Mystic is a Christian summer camp for girls between the ages of 7 and 17. Established in 1926, the camp was set to celebrate its 100th anniversary next year.
Camp Mystic has been been open for operation each summer since 1926, aside from three years during World War II, the website notes, when it was leased by the U.S. government as a recovery facility for Army Air Corps veterans.
The website shows the camp was set to hold three sessions near the Guadalupe River this summer, featuring activities like horseback riding, arts and crafts, sports and more.
Where is Camp Mystic?
Camp Mystic is located in Hunt, Texas, about two hours west of Austin and 85 miles northwest of San Antonio.
The camp is in Kerr County near the Guadalupe River, which officials said rose at least 26 feet in less than two hours in the early morning of July 4.