Silvana Garza Valdez and María Paula Zárate, both 19-year-old Mexican nationals, have been hailed as heroes after saving the lives of 20 girls during a devastating flood at Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas—an area recently hit hard by severe storms.
The two young women, who were working as counselors at the camp, risked their lives in the early hours of July 5. In the darkness, they led and protected the 20 girls, guiding them to safety amid rising floodwaters. Heavy rains caused the Guadalupe River to overflow, trapping dozens of children without a clear escape route.
Speaking to NMás, the young women described how the situation escalated within minutes. They said the water level began rising rapidly, and in the absence of trained emergency personnel, they made the decision to act on their own initiative.
Together, they organized the girls into groups and, amid the chaos of the storm, managed to get each one to safety.
“It felt like a horror movie, but we knew we had to stay calm,” they explained.
“The windows were shaking from the thunder, and the lightning was incredibly bright. It felt like a movie—I had never seen anything like it,” said Silvana Garza.
As of the morning of Monday, July 7, the death toll from the catastrophic floods that swept through Central Texas had risen to at least 91, according to White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.
She stated that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had provided an update confirming that “91 innocent lives” had been lost.
Authorities reported that the vast majority of the victims died in Kerr County. Of those, at least 27 girls and staff members were killed at Camp Mystic.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum offered her condolences to those who lost loved ones due to this catastrophe and praised the bravery of these two young Mexican women who helped others in danger.
“Two young Mexican women rescued others. That fills us with pride,” the President said.
Related: Mexicans Show Solidarity with the People of Texas After Catastrophic Floods
Mexican Press Agency is part of ALMA, which is dedicated to news and information about Mexico and Mexicans in the United States and is a fiscally sponsored project of Social Focus, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Redwood City, California.
