Central Texas floods: What we know about the victims

KERR COUNTY, Texas — A devastating scene unfolded in the Hill Country on the Fourth of July as dozens of people, including children, died after major flooding in Kerr County. That number is expected to increase as search-and-rescue operations continue this weekend and beyond. 

While KENS 5 is still working to confirm the identities of those lost, here is what we know about the people whom we have identified.

The Kerrville Daily Times confirmed that Jane Ragsdale, a camp director at Heart O’ the Hills Camp in Hunt, died in Friday’s flash floods.

Ragsdale was a camper and counselor at Heart O’ the Hills Camp in the 1970’s before becoming a co-owner of the camp in 1976. She served as program director before becoming the camp director in 1988.

The Heart O’ the Hills website describes Ragsdale as “the heart and soul” of camp as she had received the Pioneer Trailblazer Award from the Pioneer Alumni Association in 2022 and the Speedy Altman Award, a national lifetime achievement award from the Camp Owners and Directors Association.

Renee Smajstrla’s family has confirmed that she died due to the flooding. Renee was a camper at Camp Mystic, who at last check still have about 23 girls unaccounted for.

“Renee has been found and while not the outcome we prayed for, the social media outreach likely assisted the first responders in helping to identify her so quickly,” the family said in a Facebook post. “We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday. She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic. Please continue to pray for the other families in Kerrville. We are now trying to make our way home from Italy to be with Michelle’s family.”

Lila Bonner, 9, of Dallas, was among the dozens of girls from Camp Mystic who had been unaccounted for following the flash floods, according to CBS News.

She was one of three girls from the North Texas area to go missing in the floods.  

Linnie McCown, 8, was a student at Casis Elementary in the Austin area, according to her father, Michael McCown. She was a camper at Camp Mystic.

A family spokesman for 8-year-old Mary Stevens confirmed her death. Mary was a student at Highland Park Elementary in Austin.

She was also attending Camp Mystic. 

The Kerrville Daily Times confirmed that longtime owner and director of Camp Mystic Dick Eastland died while trying to save and protect campers from the rushing floodwaters.

Eastland was described as a father figure to campers while they were away from their parents for six weeks during the summer.

He had four boys of his own and reportedly always put the safety of his campers first. 

Eastland would reportedly keep up with his campers, attending weddings and other meaningful moments.

A high school soccer coach and his wife were found dead after devastating floodwaters rushed through the site they were vacationing at on the Fourth of July.

Tivy soccer coach Reece Zunker, wife Paula and two children were reported missing by family members after catastrophic flooding swept through Kerr County on Friday.

On Saturday, Zunker and his wife were confirmed dead in a post by the Tivy Boys Soccer Facebook page.

Two sisters who attended St. Rita Catholic School in Dallas were killed in the devastating floods that hit the Texas Hill Country, the school confirmed Saturday. 

According to a letter sent to the community from the school, Blair and Brooke Harber, an eighth and sixth grader, respectively, were staying along the Guadalupe River when overnight and early morning storms caused flash flooding Friday. The school said that the cabin the sisters were staying in was swept away. 

Eric Steele confirmed to KENS 5’s sister station, WFAA , that his brother-in-law, Jeff Ramsey, died after floodwaters rushed through the HTR campground along the Guadalupe River in Kerrville overnight on Friday, where the family was staying. 

Ramsey’s body has been recovered, Steele confirmed. Jeff’s wife, Tanya Ramsey, remains missing as of 11:15 a.m. Saturday. Steele said Tanya’s phone was found inside her windbreaker jacket.

When the river water started to rise, Julian Ryan, who lives along the river with his fiance, two kids and his mother, sprang into action. Those actions ended up being the last of his life.

Through tears and shock, the 27-year-old’s family members said the father, brother, and fiancé died a hero.

“He died a hero, and that will never go unnoticed,” Ryan’s sister, Connie Salas, said.

Bobby and Amanda Martin have been recovered dead, according to an unidentified family member who spoke to the Kerrville Daily Times. 

The family member stated two younger children were taken to the hospital and are currently home in Odessa and safe.

Another child and his girlfriend are still missing.

Holly Frizzell, 72, of Hunt, is also one of the confirmed deaths due to the Guadalupe River flood, according to the Kerrville Daily Times. 

Frizzell’s daughter, Jenny Frizzell Garcia, posted on Facebook this morning that she has died.

“She was the most loving mother and grandmother, and losing her in this way is an unimaginable tragedy for our family,” Garcia said in the post.

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We will continue to add victims as we confirm their identities.