Texas authorities have confirmed they have located the last of the 27 girls who vanished from Camp Mystic during last month’s destructive storm. The young girl was found in a wooded area about 800 meters from her home, recently made accessible after floodwaters receded. The area had been searched earlier, but unstable ground and debris made it dangerous.
One officer said she was “lying peacefully” with “no overt indications of difficulty.” First responders described the moment as deeply emotional. She was the youngest of the missing, and police have not released her name.
Locals began leaving flowers, candles, and messages along the forest trail where she was found. “She was almost home,” a family friend said. Her family thanked those involved in the search, asking for privacy while remembering the joy she brought to others.
Authorities are still investigating the circumstances behind the disappearance of the 27 girls, examining environmental, structural, and other possible factors. “This marks the conclusion of one chapter,” Detective Lila Moreno said, “but also the start of understanding.”
The Texas flash floods have killed at least 70 people, including 21 children. Many victims were swept away from Camp Mystic, a summer retreat.
Among them was Sarah Marsh of Alabama, remembered by her grandmother as a “lovely, feisty light.” Dallas residents Eloise Peck, 8, and her best friend Lila Bonner, 9, died together in their cabin.
Renee Smajstrla, 8, was remembered by her uncle for “having the time of her life” at camp. Nine-year-old Janie Hunt’s mother told reporters, “We are just devastated.”
Sisters Blair, 13, and Brooke Harber, 11, were also killed while staying near the Guadalupe River with grandparents. The community continues to grieve as search operations end and investigations move forward.
