KERR COUNTY, TEXAS — As torrential rains turned the peaceful banks of the Guadalupe River into a raging force of destruction on July 4th, 2025, two brave young women from Mexico—Silvana Garza Valdez and Maria Paula Zárate, both just 19 years old—demonstrated

extraordinary courage and selflessness in the face of chaos. Their heroic efforts during the catastrophic flash flooding that engulfed Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas, have captured the hearts of many and are being widely recognized as lifesaving.

Serving as summer counselors at the all-girls camp, Silvana and Maria Paula were entrusted with the care of young girls—many of whom were experiencing their first time away from home. When heavy rains began to fall late on the night of July 3, there was little warning that the Guadalupe River would soon surge past its banks and rip through the campgrounds.

By midnight, the storm had intensified dramatically. According to Garza, the atmosphere in the cabins shifted from restless to terrified. “It started to rain like nothing I’d ever experienced,” she said in an emotional interview with Channel2 NOW. “The thunder rattled the windows, and lightning lit up the cabins. No one could sleep. The little girls were crying, saying, ‘We’re going to die.’ I had to stay strong, even though I was scared, too.”

With power and communication systems knocked out, the two counselors were left to rely on instinct, training, and sheer bravery. In pitch darkness and rising water, they took swift action—moving the girls to higher ground within the cabin, organizing emergency supplies, and reassuring them through what must have felt like an endless night.

According to family members and camp officials, Garza and Zárate personally saved at least 20 young girls, many of whom were separated from their families and too frightened to think clearly. The counselors kept the group together, using flashlights and headcounts to monitor their safety and sheltering the children from both rising waters and fear.

Other counselors and staff at Camp Mystic also acted with courage and unity, but Silvana and Maria Paula’s actions have emerged as a symbol of sacrifice and composure under pressure. At great personal risk, they stayed behind as waters surged, determined to remain with the campers until help arrived.

When rescue crews were finally able to access the camp, they found the girls safe, huddled together, thanks to the clear-headed, compassionate leadership of their counselors. “They saved our daughters,” said one emotional parent. “They didn’t run or panic. They protected them when they needed it most.”

The flooding that hit Central Texas that day has been described as historic and devastating, with over a dozen lives lost, homes destroyed, and entire communities displaced. Camp Mystic was among the hardest-hit areas due to its proximity to the swollen Guadalupe River.

Despite the tragedy surrounding the broader event, the story of Silvana Garza Valdez and Maria Paula Zárate shines as a powerful example of what it means to act with courage, love, and resilience in the face of disaster. Their families, along with the families of the campers they protected, have expressed overwhelming pride and gratitude for the bravery shown that night.

Tributes have begun pouring in online, with the hashtags #SilvanaValdez and #MariaZárate trending across social media platforms as people from across Texas and beyond share messages of thanks and admiration.

As the region continues to recover from the devastation, these two young women stand as a beacon of light amid the storm—their actions proving that even in the darkest, most terrifying moments, humanity and heroism prevail.

They were angels in that storm,” one camper’s mother wrote. “We will never forget what they did for our girls.”