Fact Check: Did Texas man Deshawn Miller get arrested for rescuing elderly residents during flooding?

CENTRAL POINT, TEXAS: As rumors about celebrity donations to Texas flood victims continue to swirl online, another shocking claim is capturing attention. Reports suggest that a Texas man, Deshawn Miller, was arrested for using his boat to rescue elderly residents during the Fourth of July floods.

Social media posts allege that Miller saved at least nine people trapped in a flooded retirement home amid the catastrophic flooding in Kerr County, where rising waters left several dead and many missing.

Claim: Texas man arrested after rescuing elderly people during floods

On July 9, Facebook user Kim Lanny shared a viral post claiming that a Texas man faces jail time for rescuing senior citizens during the recent Texas floods. The post opened with the striking headline: “Texas Man Faces #Jail for Saving Lives by Boat."

According to the post, "During the height of last week's historic flooding in #Kerr County, Texas, 42-year-old #DeshawnMiller was arrested after using his personal bass boat to rescue at least nine elderly residents trapped in a flooded retirement complex."

The post described, "Miller, a former HVAC technician and father of two, said he launched from a gas station parking lot after seeing distress posts on a local Facebook group. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦📱🆘"

It continued sharing, "Over the course of four hours, he ferried stranded seniors - some in wheelchairs - through chest-deep waters to higher ground. Several bystanders filmed his efforts, which quickly went viral. 📹👍👏"

Despite public praise for his bravery, the post claimed authorities later arrested Miller. "Despite the outpouring of praise online, Miller was later taken into custody by local deputies and cited for violating an emergency management plan, operating an unregistered vessel in restricted floodwaters, and interfering with official rescue operations. 👮‍♂️🚨🚫"

He was reportedly cited for violating an emergency management plan: "Authorities claimed his presence complicated coordinated efforts and noted he had not received clearance to enter the flooded zone."

In the post, Miller responded emotionally to his arrest, saying, “[I] wasn’t trying to be a hero. [I] just couldn’t watch them sit there and drown,” while being handcuffed.

Lanny’s post concluded with a powerful quote from a local commenter: “One local commenter summed up the sentiment: 'He saved lives. They saved face.' 🤔😔🤷" The post also mentioned, "Miler was released on bond Sunday night and is scheduled to appear in court later this month."

False claim as Deshawn Miller was not arrested for rescuing elderly residents

Many people online considered the claim real and expressed strong support for Deshawn Miller’s alleged actions. However, no evidence supports the report that a Texas man was arrested for using his boat to rescue elderly residents during the July 2025 floods.

A search of Kerr County jail records revealed no individual named Deshawn Miller in custody. The Kerr County Sheriff's Office also did not mention any such arrest on its official website or Facebook page during the time of the floods.

In addition, a Google search for news about Miller’s alleged arrest turned up no reports from credible news outlets. According to a report from Snopes, the fact-checking site received an email from a spokesperson at the Kerr County Joint Information Center stating, “No one by that name has been booked into the Kerr County Jail."

Moreover, the widely shared images claiming to show Deshawn Miller appeared to be generated using artificial intelligence.