A teen counselor who was excited about spending the summer “loving and mentoring” her young charges was among the girls killed when historic flash flooding swept through a Texas Christian camp over the weekend, her devastated family revealed Monday.
Chloe Childress, 19, and at least 26 other campers and counselors from Camp Mystic — an all-girls summer camp in Hunt — died when the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in less than an hour early Friday morning, killing at least 82 people in the surrounding community.
“Returning as a counselor to the place she loved so dearly, Chloe was looking forward to dedicating her summer days to loving and mentoring young girls at Camp Mystic,” her heartbroken family said in a statement.
The Houston teen, who had arrived at the camp just days before, “lived a beautiful life that saturated those around her with contagious joy, unending grace, and abiding faith,” they added.
“While we know that her joy is now eternal and her faith has become sight, our hearts are shattered by this loss and the similar heartbreak of other families like ours.”
Childress was the co-president of the honor council at The Kinkaid School, her high school, ran varsity cross country and founded a club devoted to helping senior citizens, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The recent graduate “lost her life upholding this selfless and fierce commitment to others,” Head of School Jonathan Eades said in a statement, according to ABC News.
“A loyal and beloved friend to all who knew her, Chloe led with empathy. Her honesty gave others the courage to speak up. Her resilience helped others push through. Her joy, so present in all the little things, reminded all who knew her to keep showing up with heart,” he said.
She was due to attend the University of Texas at Austin in the fall.
The catastrophic flooding has left more than 100 dead and many still missing, according to local officials. Most of the deaths were reported in Kerr County, north of San Antonio.
The river reached its second-highest height on record, surpassing an eerily similar 1987 deluge, according to the National Weather Service.
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