The Texas flood disaster has left families shattered, but few stories are as heartbreaking as that of John Burges, a father who refused to release his children even as floodwaters swept them away.
Lorena Guillen, who saw the tragedy unfold at her Kerr County RV park, described the moment with haunting clarity. “He was holding onto that tree with everything he had, his babies in his arms,” she said. Despite neighbors screaming for him to toss the children to safety, Burges clung to them until the current tore them all away.
The Burges family had been enjoying a holiday weekend at the park when the flood hit without warning. Their daughter survived only because she was at a different summer camp—a cruel twist of fate that spared her from witnessing her family’s final moments.
Guillen’s account paints a picture of pure terror that night. The normally peaceful river swelled rapidly, carrying away cabins and vehicles as people screamed for help. “We heard voices crying out all night,” she said. “There was nothing we could do.”
Nearby, Camp Mystic became the site of another tragedy. Director Dick Eastland died while evacuating campers, his grandson later writing that he “chose to save others until his last breath.”
As search efforts continue, these stories reveal both the horror of the floods and the incredible courage of those who faced them.
