A girl was found alive 12 miles downstream — after being swept from…See more
A moment of hope has emerged out of the tragedy in Kerr County
Α young girl has been found alive after being swept over 12 miles downstream in Texas Hill Country floodwaters.Her image is now going viral — not because she was rescued, but because many feared she wouldn’t be.
Texas floods: Woman, 22, gets swept 20 miles downstream, clings onto tree for hours before miraculous rescue
The flash floods scooped up the young woman from her campsite in Kerr County, Texas, and she was later found clinging to a tree.
A 22-year-old woman was miraculously rescued after she was swept 20 miles downriver in the recent Texas floods. The flash floods scooped up the young woman from her campsite in Kerr County, Texas. She was later found clinging to a tree four hours later, KENS 5 reported.
A Center Point resident, Carl, stepped into his yard at around 8 am Friday, July 4, when he heard someone screaming. Carl then saw the woman clinging to a huge Cyprus tree near Lion’s Park Dam. Beneath her, the fast-flowing water thundered.
The miraculous rescue
The woman was carried by the waters for 20 miles, after which she remained on the tree for several hours. The local resident flagged down a police car for help as emergency calls failed to connect. Finally, two rescue boats saved the stranded camper. The water had receded by this time, and the woman was stranded 12 ft above the water’s surface. She eventually dropped into the rescue boat, and was brought to safety.
“It was a true miracle,” Carl said. “There’s no other way to explain it.”
“We bought her into our house and gave her clothes and something to drink. We had a long talk with her,” Carl added.
Carl’s family members claimed that the woman was with her parents, sister, aunt and uncle at the campsite. She was washed from her car with both of her parents, and got separated from her family. The condition of the woman’s family members remains unclear.
The woman suffered minor injuries during the horrific journey.
’27 feet above ground’: How 2 girls survived the deadly Texas floods
Two young girls were found alive clinging to a tree near Comfort in Kendall County, Texas. They held on for over 24 hours before being discovered.
Two young girls were found alive during flood-related search operations near Comfort, Texas, on Sunday. They were found clinging to the branches of a tree 27 feet above the ground. According to Cord Shiflet, a member of the search and rescue team, the girls had been holding on for over 24 hours before being discovered six miles downstream from where they were last seen.
A drone view shows fallen trees, as a result of flash flooding, in Comfort, Texas, U.S., July 5, 2025.(REUTERS)
A drone view shows fallen trees, as a result of flash flooding, in Comfort, Texas, U.S., July 5, 2025.(REUTERS)
In a Facebook Live video, Shiflet shared the emotional moment, saying, “They had been holding on for over a day, and they found them six miles down river.” The identities of the girls have not been released.
Later, in a separate Facebook post, Shiflet added, “In case you missed my Facebook live overwhelmingly thrilled to report two young girls were just found alive 27 feet off the ground in trees near comfort Texas. It gives all of us hope to keep working harder and faster. Keep your thoughts and prayers with everybody down here. It’s a very tough day, but good things are also happening.”
Comfort is located in Kendall County, one of several regions hit hard by devastating floods that have now claimed at least 70 lives. Shiflet also reported that four bodies had been recovered: a man found in debris, two women discovered in a vehicle, and one unidentified person at the site.
Flood Devastation Across Central Texas
The confirmed death toll from the Central Texas floods reached at least 70 as of Sunday. At least 30 people are still officially listed as missing across multiple counties. Among the missing are 11 campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic, a girls’ summer camp in Kerr County.
The geographic breakdown of confirmed fatalities is as follows:
Kerr County: 59 deaths
Travis County: 4
Burnet County: 3
Kendall County: 2
Williamson County: 1
Tom Green County: 1
Federal Response
President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he had signed a “Major Disaster Declaration” for Kerr County, Texas.
The declaration is “to ensure that our Brave First Responders immediately have the resources they need,” he wrote in a Truth Social post on Sunday.
“These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing. The Trump Administration continues to work closely with State and Local Leaders. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was on the ground yesterday with Governor Greg Abbott, who is working hard to help the people of his Great State,” Trump added.