Two North Texas girls missing from Camp Mystic in the wake of catastrophic Central Texas flooding have been confirmed dead: Lila Bonner, 9, and Eloise Peck, 8, CBS News Texas confirmed Sunday.
A sign posted outside the home of 8-year-old Eloise Peck stated that “she lost her life in the tragic flooding.” The family asked for privacy to mourn.
Bonner’s family confirmed on Saturday that she was among the children who had died in the flood.
Bonner and Peck were two of the three girls from Dallas — the other being 8-year-old Hadley Hanna — who were among a group of missing Camp Mystic campers, unaccounted for following the flash floods that swept through Kerr County early Friday.
During a news conference on Sunday, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said at least 10 Camp Mystic campers were still missing, along with one counselor. It was the first solid number officials have provided regarding campers who remain unaccounted for, after estimating Saturday that it could be as high as 27. There were about 750 children at Camp Mystic when the floods hit, the sheriff said earlier.
Hadley Hanna is among those still missing.
Dallas sisters among the dozens killed in Central Texas flooding
Two sisters from Dallas – 13-year-old Blair Harber and 11-year-old Brooke Harber – were among the dozens of lives lost in the catastrophic floods that swept through Central Texas early Friday.
Their deaths were confirmed Saturday by St. Rita Catholic Community. Blair was preparing to enter eighth grade, and Brooke was set to begin sixth grade at St. Rita Catholic School.
The sisters were not attending Camp Mystic, but were in the area when the flooding occurred.
Dozens dead, many still missing
As of Sunday afternoon, at least 79 have died and at least 41 more are missing, according to officials, following the devastating flash floods that slammed the Texas Hill Country. Rescue operations remain ongoing across the area.
Authorities caution that not all of the campers are confirmed missing — some may be unreachable due to storm-related communication outages — but the uncertainty has left families anxiously awaiting updates.
According to the camp’s website, children become eligible to attend Camp Mystic, located in Hunt, Texas, along the Guadalupe River, after completing the second grade.
Trump signs federal disaster declaration for Kerr County
President Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County on Sunday morning, at Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s request. On Saturday, Abbott said he visited the summer camp for the first time, calling the scene “horrendously ravaged” in a social media post.
Abbott encouraged all Texans to pause in reflection and prayer Sunday, and to also “seek God’s wisdom, peace, and mercy in this time of need for so many Texas families.”
Large-scale response underway
In response, authorities have launched a large-scale search effort, deploying helicopters, Texas game wardens, and specialized rescue teams. Several children have already been rescued from trees and other stranded locations.
Rescuers scoured flooded riverbanks littered with mangled trees Saturday and turned over rocks in the search for more than two dozen children from a girls’ camp and many others missing after a wall of water blasted down a river in the Texas Hill Country.
Col. Freeman Martin with the Texas Department of Public Safety said there are still unidentified victims at funeral homes, including adults and children.
