As of early Monday morning, the death toll has risen to 82 people, including at least 20 children, after the flash floods that occurred in Texas over the 4th of July weekend.
The US Coast Guard, first responders, and residents have been working together to rescue and locate people lost in the devastating floods. Among those was Dick Eastland, director of Camp Mystic, who tragically was confirmed dead on Saturday, sacrificing his life to save others.
Keep reading to learn more.
The horrifying floods in the Guadalupe River, Texas, have claimed more than 80 lives, among them at least 20 children who were attending the Christian summer camp for girls. The Guadalupe River rose 26 feet within 45 minutes on Friday, according to state officials, and the search operation to locate survivors is still ongoing. Twenty-seven girls from the Christian Girls’ camp, Camp Mystic, have still not been found.
While rescue services have worked tirelessly to find survivors, ordinary citizens have also done their best to locate those who are missing. One of them was Dick Eastland, the director of Camp Mystic. Tragically, the 70-year-old passed away while trying to save the lives of others.
Eastland’s nephew, Gardner Eastland, confirmed the death of Dick in a Facebook post on Saturday, per Fox, although the post has since been taken down. His wife, Tweety, was found safe at their home.
Camp Mystic director dies while trying to save kids during Texas flooding
The news was confirmed by Rep. August Pfluger, who wrote that Eastland sacrificed his own life to save others. Pfluger’s daughters were among the campers who were rescued from Camp Mystic.
“Camp Mystic’s Dick Eastland no doubt gave his life attempting to save his campers. For decades he and his wife Tweety poured his life into loving and developing girls and women of character. Thank you Mr. Eastland. We love you and miss you,” he wrote on X.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly told The Washington Post that Eastland, a father of four, died in a helicopter on the way to a hospital in Houston. They also had 11 grandchildren, with many of their children and partners helping to manage Camp Mystic.
According to the camp’s website, Dick Eastland’s eldest son, Richard, managed the kitchen, and their youngest, Edward, along with his wife, were directors of Camp Mystic Guadalupe River. Dick Eastland is the third generation of his family to run the summer camp, which was founded in 1926.
Precisely what happened to Dick Eastland as he attempted to save as many lives as possible is not yet known. He had previously survived brain cancer. At the camp, Eastland taught the younger campers how to fish, and former participants described him as a caring fatherly figure.
“Dick was the father figure to all of us while we were away from home at Camp Mystic for six weeks,” former camper Paige Sumner wrote in the Kerrville Daily Times “He was the father of four amazing boys, but he had hundreds of girls each term who looked up to him like a dad. I would never have taken a fishing class if it wasn’t taught by my new friend Dick.”
“His last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers”
According to the Kerrville Daily Times, Dick Eastland also served on the Hunt Independent School District Board. Moreover, he was a former coach for the West Kerr County Little League and the West Kerr County Little Dribblers.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all that his last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers,” Paige Sumner added. “He had already saved so many lives with the gift of Camp Mystic.”
On Sunday, Kathatine Somerville, a camp counselor at Camp Mystic’s Cypress Lake location, told Fox that Dick was among the “most selfless men in the whole world.”
“He was an inspiration to so, so many,” she said. “He was a father figure, a comforting force in the uncertainty of everything.”
She concluded, “he guided us in our faith and our activities, he always told us to make new friends and to share our love with everyone.”
Rest in peace, Dick Eastland, and all those who tragically lost their lives in the Guadalope River floods. We send our thoughts and prayers to all those affected by the catastrophic event.
READ MORE
Young father dies saving fiancée, kids, and mom in Texas floods
