South Philly woman recalls time as counselor at Camp Mystic now devastated by deadly flood waters
Former Camp Mystic employee shares heartbreak over devastating flood
A Philadelphia woman who worked at Camp Mystic in Texas shares her emotional story of heartbreak over the devastating flooding.
PHILADELPHIA - Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp in the Texas hill country, lost 27 campers and counselors in the raging flash flood. The heartbreaking disaster is hitting close to home for a Philadelphia woman who worked at the camp.
What we know:
The deadly flash floods happened early the morning of July 4th. So far nearly 30 campers and staff are reported dead.
What they're saying:
"It was like an unfolding nightmare essentially," said Emily Joynton as she scrolled through pictures she took during her three summers at Camp Mystic in Texas. She is devastated seeing images of the place now.
"My dad texted me about flooding on the Guadelupe River which runs through Camp Mystic and I was just really shocked and kind of stunned," she said.
It happened early on the morning of July fourth. Emily began to learn more about the deadly flood in her home state and beloved camp.
"It’s an almost unrecognizable landscape. Like all these downed trees and the pictures of the cabins that have been shown," she said.
Texas floods: Death toll rises to 110; 161 remain missing in Kerr County
The death toll from the July 4th weekend flooding in Central Texas has risen to at least 110. In Kerr County alone, 161 people remain missing.
The backstory:
In 2007 Emily worked as a counselor at Camp Mystic. Then in 2009 and 2010 she was an office aide and did photography.
She says she cannot imagine what families there are going through. Reports so far state that nearly 30 campers and staff have lost their lives.
"There are a lot of young girls at that camp and they are probably in the most vulnerable area just because they are not build up into a hill like the older campers’ cabins were. It is just terrible," she said.
Big picture view:
Emily has fond memories of camp owner and director Dick Eastland seen in pictures she took. She says he and his wife had been there for decades and were good people. He died in the flash floods.
"I knew Dick Eastland. He was the camp director. He and his wife. They have been camp directors for decades. He was the only person I knew personally," she said of the victims.
Emily hopes people will donate to the Kerr County Relief Fund and that victims will feel love from all over.
"Supporting putting these possibly preventative measures in place to where hopefully this will never happen again," she said.