2 Dallas girls killed in flooding at Camp Mystic, families say
Two North Texas girls missing from Camp Mystic in the wake of catastrophic Central Texas flooding have been confirmed dead: Lila Bonner, 9, and Eloise Peck, 8, CBS News Texas confirmed Sunday.
A sign posted outside the home of 8-year-old Eloise Peck stated that "she lost her life in the tragic flooding." The family asked for privacy to mourn.
Bonner's family confirmed on Saturday that she was among the children who had died in the flood.
Bonner and Peck were two of the three girls from Dallas — the other being 8-year-old Hadley Hanna — who were among a group of missing Camp Mystic campers, unaccounted for following the flash floods that swept through Kerr County early Friday.
Monday morning, Camp Mystic confirmed that 27 campers and counselors died in the flash flooding that swept through the area.
"Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy," the camp said in a statement . "We are praying for them constantly."
Camp Mystic's owner and director Dick Eastland, 74, also died while trying to save girls at the camp, .
During a news conference on Sunday, officials said at least 10 Camp Mystic campers were still missing, along with one counselor.
Hadley Hanna is among those still missing.
There were about 750 children at Camp Mystic when the floods hit, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said.
Dallas sisters among the dozens killed in Central Texas flooding
Two sisters from Dallas - 13-year-old Blair Harber and 11-year-old Brooke Harber - were among the dozens of lives lost in the catastrophic floods that swept through Central Texas early Friday.
Their deaths were confirmed Saturday by St. Rita Catholic Community. Blair was preparing to enter eighth grade, and Brooke was set to begin sixth grade at St. Rita Catholic School.
The sisters were not attending Camp Mystic, but were in the area when the flooding occurred.
Dozens dead, many still missing
As of Monday morning, at least 82 have died and at least 41 more are missing, according to officials, following the devastating flash floods that slammed the Texas Hill Country. Rescue operations remain ongoing across the area.
Authorities caution that not all of the campers are confirmed missing — some may be unreachable due to storm-related communication outages — but the uncertainty has left families anxiously awaiting updates.
According to the camp's website, children become eligible to attend Camp Mystic, located in Hunt, Texas, along the Guadalupe River, after completing the second grade.
"My instruction to every state agency involved in this is to assume everybody who is missing is alive," Abbott said during a news conference on Saturday. "And there is a need for speed - not just every hour. Every minute counts, which is why there's people in the air, people in the water, people on the ground right now because they are looking to save every last life. And we will not give up that effort."
Trump signs federal disaster declaration for Kerr County
President Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County on Sunday morning, at Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's request. On Saturday, Abbott said he visited the summer camp for the first time, calling the scene "horrendously ravaged" in a social media post.
Abbott encouraged all Texans to pause in reflection and prayer Sunday, and to also "seek God's wisdom, peace, and mercy in this time of need for so many Texas families."
Large-scale response underway
In response, authorities have launched a large-scale search effort, deploying helicopters, Texas game wardens, and specialized rescue teams. Several children have already been rescued from trees and other stranded locations.
Rescuers scoured flooded riverbanks littered with mangled trees Saturday and turned over rocks in the search for more than two dozen children from a girls' camp and many others missing after a wall of water blasted down a river in the Texas Hill Country.
Col. Freeman Martin with the Texas Department of Public Safety said there are still unidentified victims at funeral homes, including adults and children.
