A 21-year-old woman from Texas sent her family a heartbreaking text message just before floodwaters flooded into the house she was living in, screaming for help as the rushing waters took her away.
The Guadalupe River roared across Central Texas over the Fourth of July holiday, as the floodwaters rose quickly, destroying homes, campgrounds, and lives in their way.
AFP says that “torrential rains” started the night before the holiday and “the river rose to the height of a two-story building in less than an hour, flooding parts of Kerr County.” As of July 9, NBC said that at least 107 people have died in six counties. There are more than two dozen pupils and staff from an all-girls Christian camp on the victim list.
A lot more individuals are still missing, and the number of deaths will only grow up as the hunt goes on.
Joyce Badon, 21, and her three companions, Ella Cahill, Reese Manchaca, and Aiden Heartfield, were among those who were missing. They were together at a rural cottage by the river for the July 4th weekend.
The house was gone by the early hours of the morning.
Last contact: Joyce’s dad, Ty Badon, told CNN that the family last heard from the group when Aiden’s dad, who owns the house they were living in, called them.
“We were told they were on the phone…” He said, “The phone is dead,” and then he replied, “There is no house anymore.”
Badon reported that Aidan told his dad, “I have to go.” I need to help Reese and Ella. “They just got washed away,” and then the phone was silent for a few seconds. The 21-year-old’s father remarked, “That’s all we know,” remembering the last time he spoke with the group.
“Flash flood” Kellye, Joyce’s mom, published an emotional post on Facebook requesting people to pray for her daughter.
“A flash flood struck and swept their cars away. She claimed, “It happened so quickly, and there was so much water that they couldn’t get to the attic.” “Aidan Heartfield called his dad during the storm, but the debris swept him and two other people away.”
Kellye revealed that Joyce’s last conversation was with Aiden’s dad.
The parent ended the message on July 4th by saying, “We pray for JC and her friends’ safety.” We are going to believe that we will discover my daughter and her friends alive today in Hunt, Texas.
There have been several victims found.
In their hunt for Joyce and her friends, groups of volunteers went through the wreckage and along the banks of the river. Sadly, some of the volunteers found other people’s bodies.
“There was a lot of debris around one of the bodies, which was 8 to 10 feet up in a tree. Louis Deppe, a volunteer in charge of looking for the Badon family, remarked, “The more eyes, the better, because no one could see it.”
Joyce’s dad also found a body.
While my son and I were walking, I thought it was a mannequin. Ty said, “There was a little boy, eight or ten years old, and he was dead.” “We were just walking, like we always do, when we saw him.”
Break up and take charge.
Also seeking for the college students was Tina Hambly, who is the mother of a friend of Joyce. She wanted to find them alive.
“We’re doing a seven-mile stretch,” Hambly told AFP. “We’re doing a mile each with seven teams…” “We’re just splitting up the work and taking care of everything.”
“But you know, we’re friends and family, and to be honest, some strangers have shown up,” she remarked.
Joyce discovered
Sadly, Joyce’s family got the news they had been anticipating on July 7.
In an interview with NBC News, the girl’s father said where her body was found. Later, Kellye Badon, her mother, wrote a moving tribute to their “lovely” daughter on Facebook, paying honor to the young life that was gone too soon.
“This morning, God told us what to do!” Kellye wrote. “We found our beautiful daughter who made us happy for 21 years!” We hope we can find her three friends shortly. Thanks to everyone who prayed for me and helped me. “God is good!”
She uploaded again hours later, this time with a picture of a rainbow in the sky over the Badon’s house.
In the heartbreaking message, she said, “Joyce Catherine is telling us from heaven, ‘All is well with my soul.'”
Last message
Louis Deppe, a volunteer in charge of the search, stated that Joyce sent one last text begging for help just before the floods took her away.
People says that Deppe told AFP that the last message Joyce’s relatives got on her phone was “We’re being washed away,” and then the phone went silent.
There are reports that Reese’s body has been found, but Aiden and Ella are still missing.
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