In a stunning rescue caught on camera, a 22-year-old woman was saved after being swept 20 miles down the Guadalupe River during the devastating July 4 floods in Texas—only to end up clinging to a Cypress tree, surrounded by raging waters.
The woman, who had been camping with her family at a site in Ingram, was torn from her tent as flash floods tore through Kerr County. Her family attempted to flee in a vehicle but was also swept away. It remains unclear whether they survived.
Screaming for Help, Dangling in a Tree
Several hours later and miles downstream, a homeowner in Center Point heard a woman’s desperate screams. Running outside, he spotted her high up in a tree near Lion’s Park Dam, her legs dangling over the rushing river.
“She was holding onto a branch that had already started to snap,” the man told local news station KENS 5. “Another one had already broken off. It was terrifying.”
With emergency lines jammed, the man ran into the street and flagged down nearby rescue crews who were already responding to flood victims.
Daring River Rescue
Rescue boats were launched, and when they reached the stranded woman, the water had receded nearly 10 feet—leaving her suspended in the air. She was forced to drop from the tree into the boat in a last act of courage.
Miraculously, she survived with only minor scrapes and bruises. According to rescuers, she had been carried across four dams and dodged everything from floating cars to overturned refrigerators.
“It’s truly a miracle,” one responder said.
River Rose 26 Feet in 45 Minutes
The Guadalupe River rose a staggering 26 feet in just 45 minutes, officials said—turning calm campsites into deadly torrents. At least 43 people have been confirmed dead in the historic flooding, and dozens remain missing, including children from a Christian summer camp nearby.
This woman’s story stands as a rare moment of hope amid the disaster. The identity of the woman has not been released. Her family, also caught in the flooding, has yet to be located.
