Texas dad left chilling voicemail for children before being swept away in flood with wife: 'We're dying'

KERRVILLE, TEXAS: A peaceful RV getaway turned tragic when 61-year-old Jeff Ramsey and his wife, Tanya Ramsey, were caught in a deadly flash flood that struck the HTR RV Park near the Guadalupe River.

As rising waters consumed their Airstream camper in the early morning hours, Jeff used his final moments to record heartbreaking goodbye messages for his children, Jake, 24, and Rachel, 23. 

Texas father leaves final words of love for his son and daughter amid deadly floods 

The floodwaters surged violently through the RV park before dawn, and with escape no longer possible, Jeff and Tanya made calls to their loved ones.

Jake, their son, recounted the heartbreaking moment to the New York Post, saying, “Once they realized there was nothing they could do, my stepmom was on the phone with her mom while my dad made a call to me and my sister. We were asleep,” Jake added. “He left us a message saying he was not going to make it and that he loved us so much, telling us goodbye.”

Jake recalled the painful memory of waking up to a message he’ll never forget. “He called once he realized there was no hope,” Jake said. “It was a short voicemail. He just left me a voicemail. He said, ‘Buddy, I love you so much. It doesn’t look like we are going to make it. Tell Rachey I love her.’”

Moments later, Jeff left a voicemail for Rachel, where the terrifying sounds of rushing water and Tanya’s screams, “We’re dying, we’re dying!”, could be heard in the background. It was a side of his father he had never heard before. “You never heard this guy panic, but we heard panic and fear in his voice,” Jake shared.

Texas man’s final act of bravery before torrential flood took his life

Just minutes before deadly floodwaters consumed his Airstream camper, Jeff Ramsey used his final moments not only to say goodbye to his children but also to save the lives of others.

At 4.30 am, Ramsey, 61, placed a critical call to warn his wife, Tanya’s mother, and brother, who were sleeping in a cabin about 150 yards from the river’s edge. The urgency in his voice woke them in time to escape. That same cabin would later be found completely submerged.

“He rescued them because they would have slept in and they would have washed away,” said his son, Jake Ramsey. “That cabin was destroyed, completely underwater. He saved their lives.”

Jeff, known for his involvement with the Adaptive Training Foundation, a gym for individuals with physical disabilities, lived a life rooted in service to others.

“There are miracles happening in that gym all the time,” Jake said. “People walking who haven’t walked in years or since their accident. My dad always told me that it was his calling.”

Tanya’s body was later recovered and identified by her tattoos. Jeff remains missing.

Jake and his sister Rachel, 23, were left stunned not only by the tragedy but also by the discovery that their father received an evacuation alert from the RV park only after they were already in danger.

“Right, literally, the same time he left her that voicemail as they were getting swept away, they received an evacuation text from their RV park saying ‘gather your belongings and head out as soon as possible,’” Jake said.

“It was ridiculous. I saw that he got that text as they were floating away. Literally right as he left my sister that goodbye message.” He added, “It’s your worst nightmare.”