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Published 13:33 8 Jul 2025 BST
Updated 16:39 8 Jul 2025 BST
Two camp counsellors, Silvana Garza and Maria Paula, say they wrote girls' names on their bodies in case they were swept away by the floods during the Texas floodwater disaster.
Silvana and Maria told Mexican news outlet NMas on Sunday (July 6) that they began to "write our names on our skin, anywhere that was visible" as the situation began to escalate, per the New York Post.
According to the two teenage counsellors, they were working at a nearby branch when survivors, who had been evacuated from Camp Mystic, started to arrive at their site.
After writing their own names on themselves, Silvana and Maria started to write the other girls' names on their bodies as well, ensuring they were written "anywhere that was easy to see."
"At the time, we started to prepare our girls because we thought we were also going to be evacuated.
"We told them to pack a bag, to pack their favourite stuffed animal. We didn’t know if we were going to be evacuated or not. We were just waiting," Maria explained.
Eventually, the campers realised the gravity of the situation and panic began to set in.
"All of the girls started to go crazy, some were crying because they didn’t want to leave.
"Others wanted their parents. I really don’t know how to explain it. It was something awful," Silvana recalled.
Ultimately, the campers and counsellors were evacuated from their spot after learning about the severity of the tragedy.
Camp Mystic shared a statement on Monday (July 7) that 27 campers and counsellors died due to the "catastrophic flooding on the Guadalupe River."
However, it is likely this number will increase in the following days as search parties are still searching for missing campers.
The statement said: "Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy.
"We are praying for them constantly."
It continued: "We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls.
"We ask for your continued prayers, respect and privacy for each of our families affected.
"May the Lord continue to wrap His presence around all of us," Camp Mystic concluded.
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