“We Are Devastated”: Twin Sisters Among Dozens Killed as Floodwaters Overwhelm Texas Summer Camp
What should have been a summer filled with laughter and lifelong memories turned into a tragedy that no family could have prepared for.
Over the July 4th weekend, powerful flash floods swept through Camp Mystic, a beloved Christian summer camp nestled along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas. In just minutes, rising waters consumed dormitories and fields — claiming the lives of campers and staff alike, including two young sisters whose deaths have touched hearts nationwide.
Among the victims: 8-year-old twin sisters Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence, granddaughters of David Lawrence Jr., the former publisher of both the Miami Herald and Detroit Free Press. Their 14-year-old sister, Harper, miraculously survived.
“It has been an unimaginable time for all of us,” Lawrence shared in a statement to the Herald. “Hanna and Rebecca gave their parents John and Lacy and sister Harper, and all in our family, so much joy. They and that joy can never be forgotten.”
Lawrence’s son, John, and his wife Lacy — both attorneys based in Dallas — released a separate message through NBC News Texas, thanking supporters and speaking through their heartbreak.
“Hanna and Rebecca brought so much joy to us, to their big sister Harper, and to so many others,” they wrote. “We will find ways to keep that joy, and to continue to spread it for them. But we are devastated that the bond we shared with them, and that they shared with each other, is now frozen in time.”
A School and Community in Mourning
The twins had recently completed second grade at University Park Elementary School and were known for their bright spirits and infectious energy.
“We are deeply saddened to report the loss of multiple students, and our thoughts and prayers are with all of the families deeply affected by this unimaginable tragedy,” the school said in a statement on its website.
Camp Mystic: A Landscape of Loss
Search and rescue teams have worked tirelessly since the river swelled beyond its banks, turning the peaceful grounds of Camp Mystic into a disaster zone. According to camp officials, 27 individuals connected to the camp — both campers and staff — are confirmed dead, with at least 10 campers and one counselor still missing.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha confirmed that even Camp Mystic’s longtime owner, Richard “Dick” Eastland, was among those who lost their lives.
“Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy,” the camp’s statement read. “We are praying for them constantly. We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls.”
A Life Dedicated to Children — Now Touched by Personal Loss
David Lawrence Jr. spent his post-journalism career advocating for early childhood education. After stepping down as publisher of the Miami Herald in 1999, he founded The Children’s Movement of Florida, which helped lead the charge for a successful constitutional amendment ensuring free pre-kindergarten education for all 4-year-olds in the state.
In a cruel twist, the same man who worked for decades to uplift children now faces a loss too deep for words — the deaths of his own granddaughters in a tragedy that could not be foreseen or prevented.
Remembering the Joy They Gave
As the death toll from the Texas floods surpasses 100 lives lost, the nation is left grappling with the staggering weight of so many young lives cut short. But those who knew Hanna and Rebecca remember something brighter: their laughter, their bond, their joy.
In the wake of such sorrow, we’re reminded of what truly matters. Hold your loved ones closer. Speak your love out loud. And never underestimate the light a child brings into the world — even if that light, tragically, is gone too soon.
