The powerful storm surge that swept through a Christian summer camp in Texas and killed at least four kids at the facility left crumbled walls, tossed about furniture and dirt-covered stuffed animals and clothes in its wake, heartbreaking images show.
Photos from inside Camp Mystic revealed the utter disarray and tragic scene left by the receding floodwaters, including the mess hall which was destroyed.
White dishes and bottled sodas can be seen the ground outside the huge gaping hole left in the side of the cafeteria.
Other images show inside one of the bunks, where pink and purple bedding, towels, backpacks, luggage, and clothing are seen scattered about, and caked in mud.
The beds and furniture are all rearranged or upended, and electrical cords run this way and that, chaotically.
A stuffed animal, covered in dirt and detritis, could be seen laying on a set of steps, next to a tattered and twisted shirt.
A line of dirt along the walls and doors revealed the terrifying height the water reached inside the camp buildings, where girls as young as 7 were sleeping when the river raged through.
In some instances the water appeared to have surged higher than the doors of the buildings, the images show.
So far, officials said they’ve recovered the bodies of 27 people, including some of the campers swept away.
Among the victims from Camp Mystic were Renee Smajstrla, 8; Sarah Marsh, 8; Janie Hunt, 9; and Lila Bonner.
All told, nine children were among the dead in the region.
At least 858 people were rescued during search missions, eight of whom were injured.
The 99-year-old facility serves more than 750 girls between the ages of 7 and 17 and operates two sites alongside the Guadalupe, one of which sits on higher ground.
The Guadalupe River — on which Camp Mystic is perched in the San Antonio suburb of Hunt — rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes, according to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a level of flooding the area hasn’t seen since 1987.
A flood alert went out at 4 a.m. when most people were sleeping.
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