A BRAVE father has died in the Texas floods after he was seen clutching his two sons before being swept away by the raging waters.
Now, his young daughter has been left orphaned as the parents’ bodies were found and the boys remain missing.
A Texas dad died clutching his two young sons during deadly floods that swept through an RV park[/caption]
His sons, James, 1, and Jack, 5, have not been found yet[/caption]
The heartbreaking tragedy unfolded as a summer vacation turned into a waking nightmare at a local RV park.
The family was visiting Blue Oak RV Park in Kerr County over the July 4 weekend when torrential rains triggered flash floods.
John Burgess, 39, refused to let go of his children even as rising waters swept through the site.
He was later found dead and his sons, James, 1, and Jack, 5, have not been found.
His wife, Julia Anderson Burgess, 38, was also killed in the floods, relatives confirmed.
The couple’s daughter, Jenna, survived only because she was staying at a nearby camp untouched by the flooding.
Now, she is left without both her parents as the search continues for her brothers.
Witnesses said John was last seen clinging to a tree, holding his boys close as the water surged.
Lorena Guillen, who owns the RV park, said she saw the horrifying moment as John struggled to keep his children safe.
“My husband was in the water trying to ask them, ‘Please throw me your baby!’” she told the New York Post.
“The man was holding tight to his babies, and he just got swept away.”
Guillen said the family had come to celebrate the holiday weekend, and the children were “so excited” to be there.
She and her husband woke up in the middle of the night to chaos as rescue teams flooded their property.
“The first level of RVs was already washing away. The river went up about 10 feet,” she said.
Donald Trump’s statement on Texas floods
“The Trump Administration is working with State and Local Officials on the ground in Texas in response to the tragic flooding that took place yesterday.
“Our Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, will be there shortly.
“Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy.
“Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”
“A family of five was stranded because they were the ones closest to the river. Their RV was floating away. It was pitch black, it was so dark.”
Guillen said eight bodies were recovered from her property, and the neighboring RV park had around 40 people reported missing.
What we know so far…
- Torrential rain sparked deadly flash flooding around the Guadalupe River in Texas in the early morning of July 4
- At least 105 people lost their lives, mostly in Kerr County, and rescue teams continue to search for missing people, but hope for survival is dimming
- Families of some Camp Mystic girls have confirmed their deaths
- Haunting pictures show empty bunks after 27 girls and counselors were killed
- A woman was rescued by clinging to a tree after being washed 20 miles downstream
- Two brothers told of their brave escape from a flooded cabin
- The victims include the niece of the Kansas City Chiefs’ owners, a dad who died while saving his wife and kids, a beloved high school coach, and sisters who were found dead with their hands locked together
- Mourners gathered for a vigil Monday night to honor the victims
Authorities launched a large-scale search and rescue operation across the area.
Over 100 people have been confirmed dead so far, officials said.
John’s relative, Michael Schwab, shared a tribute on social media confirming the couple’s deaths.
Witnesses said John was last seen clinging to a tree, holding his boys close as the water surged[/caption]
“We continue to mourn the loss of John Burgess, and have been praying for Julia Anderson Burgess and their two sweet boys,” he wrote.
“We were deeply saddened to learn this morning that my cousin Julia Anderson Burgess’s body has now been found.”
Julia was a teacher at Liberty Elementary School in Liberty, a town outside Houston.
The school district paid tribute: “Our hearts are with the Burgess family – please continue to pray.”
John ran a financial services business and was remembered for his infectious smile and community spirit.
Jennifer Tindall Anderson, a relative, shared a heartfelt statement on Facebook as well.
“These past few days have been devastating for the Burgess and Anderson families as we continue to mourn the loss of my brother-in-law, John Burgess, and have been praying for Julia Anderson Burgess and their two sweet boys,” she wrote.
“We just saw him at our luncheon on Wednesday before the tragic event,” wrote Mark Linabury, president of the East Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce.
“They were the sweetest and kindest family,” added Julia’s colleague Laura Taylor-McGuire.
“They would do anything for anyone.
FLOODING TRAGEDY
Flash floods tore through Central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend, leaving more than 100 people dead and dozens still missing.
One of the worst-hit areas was Kerr County in the Texas Hill Country, a region known as “flash flood alley,” where rising waters devastated an all-girls Christian summer camp.
At Camp Mystic, at least 11 girls and their counselors were confirmed dead after raging floodwaters hit in the early morning hours on Friday.
Among them were all 15 members of the Bubble Inn cabin – 13 young girls and two counselors – who were swept away when a wall of water crashed into the camp.
The National Weather Service office in San Angelo was understaffed during the storm, missing key roles including a forecaster, a senior hydrologist, and its lead meteorologist.
In Kerr County, where many of the deaths occurred, officials confirmed there was no formal flood warning system in place.
County leaders had explored installing one as far back as 2015 and again in 2017, but the plan was ultimately scrapped due to financial concerns, according to public records.
A $1 million grant application to fund the system was unsuccessful, and officials continued to rely on informal word-of-mouth alerts instead.
“Taxpayers won’t pay for it,” Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said in a recent statement.
In Kerr County, where many of the deaths occurred, officials confirmed there was no formal flood warning system in place (stock image)[/caption]
