Additional Coverage:
New 911 Calls Reveal Harrowing Moments from Texas Hill Country Flood Disaster
Five months after the devastating floods ravaged the Texas Hill Country, newly released 911 audio recordings offer a chilling glimpse into the chaos, fear, and desperate pleas that unfolded during the deadly event. Emergency dispatchers were reportedly overwhelmed, fielding over 400 calls from individuals trapped in perilous situations, from submerged homes to precariously perched trees.
Many callers made multiple attempts to reach emergency services, providing updates on their worsening predicaments and their exact locations. One caller described rescuing two young girls swept downriver from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp, expressing concern for others who might still be in the water.
Camp Mystic tragically bore a significant loss, with 25 campers and two teenage counselors perishing in the floods. Dick Eastland, the camp’s longtime director and co-owner, also lost his life while attempting to save campers. His son, Britt Eastland, co-director of Camp Mystic, made a 911 call requesting National Guard assistance, reporting as many as 40 people missing at the time, according to The Associated Press.
A counselor from Camp La Junta also placed a frantic call as water rapidly inundated a cabin, with the sounds of screaming campers audible in the background. Fortunately, all campers and personnel at Camp La Junta were successfully rescued.
In another harrowing call, a woman desperately sought help for herself and two elderly individuals trapped inside a house, unable to escape the rising waters. Her fear was palpable as she begged for assistance.
Additional calls painted a grim picture, with individuals reporting people floating by and screaming for help, while others sought refuge in attics and on rooftops. One caller pleaded for a helicopter, describing people in the water and asking if anyone could reach them. The dispatcher assured her that help was en route but acknowledged that the floodwaters were “slowing us down a little bit.”
Among the most poignant calls was that of firefighter Bradley Perry, who calmly informed a dispatcher that the tree he was clinging to was beginning to lean and would soon fall. Perry also recounted seeing his wife, Tina, and their RV being swept away.
Tragically, Perry did not survive the floods, becoming one of over 130 fatalities. His wife was later found alive, clinging to a tree.