8-year-old Dallas girl missing from Camp Mystic dies in Texas floods, family launches memorial fund
KERR COUNTY, TEXAS: An eight-year-old Dallas girl, who went missing from Camp Mystic, has tragically been confirmed dead following the catastrophic Texas floods, which claimed at least 120 lives and displaced many others.
The flash flooding began before dawn on July 4 when a deadly storm dumped 12 inches of rain on Central Texas, causing the Guadalupe River to surge by 26 feet in just 45 minutes.
In the darkness, the roaring floodwater engulfed everything in its path: demolishing homes, sweeping away vehicles, and leaving entire communities submerged in debris.
One of the worst flood-stricken areas was Camp Mystic, where at least 27 girls and counsellors were reported missing after the flood.
Camp Mystic camper Virginia Wynne Naylor dies in catastrophic Texas floods
At least 27 campers and counsellors who went missing from the all-girls Christian summer camp have now been confirmed dead in the Texas flash floods.
Among the dead was eight-year-old Virginia Wynne Naylor, who was the Camp Mystic when the flood hit on July 4, her family confirmed.
"There are no words to express our gratitude to everyone who supported Wynne and our entire family through this time. Wynne has a great love of the outdoors, a love of God, and love for her community,” her family statement read.
To celebrate her life and keep her spirit alive, the family established a memorial fund with The Dallas Foundation called “More Like Wynne.” Her father confirmed that the fund will help support local schools, youth wildlife conservation projects, and chosen Christian ministries.
"If you remove the grief, the stress, the tears of despair, and the cries of horror from the days since this tragedy began, you will find how God intends for us to live," the statement added.
"Replace grief with hope. Replace stress with servitude. Replace tears of despair with joyful recollection. Replace cries of horror with terms of endearment. This is how our girls danced through this world. This is how they will be remembered. This is how God intends we live,” the family statement continued.
Search and rescue mission continues after devastating flooding
The saddening news of Virginia Wynne Naylor's death came as the Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed that the death toll after the flash floods has soared past 120, while more than 161 people are still missing.
He said two state search and rescue teams, the Texas National Guard, and a host of other agencies are continuing to conduct search and rescue operations.
Rescue teams from neighboring states and Mexico have joined local efforts to search for survivors, which have been hindered by thunderstorms.
Amid the flooding, local officials have faced angry questions about whether they could have warned people of dangerous flash floods in the Texas Hill Country sooner.
