Local News
Mexican Counselors Silvana Garza Valdez and Maria Paula Zárate Hailed as Heroes After Rescuing Camp Mystic Girls During Texas Flooding
KERR COUNTY, TEXAS — Amid the catastrophic flooding that devastated Central Texas and swept through Camp Mystic, two young Mexican women—Silvana Garza Valdez and Maria Paula Zárate, both 19—are being hailed as heroes after risking their lives to protect and rescue young campers under their care.
The two women, serving as counselors at Camp Mystic near the Guadalupe River, sprang into action as flash floods overwhelmed the campgrounds early on July 4.
According to firsthand accounts and family confirmations, the counselors were responsible for saving at least 20 young girls—calming them, sheltering them, and keeping them safe until emergency crews could arrive.
During the flooding, the camp lost power and communications. Garza, recounting the experience to Channel2 NOW, said, “We went to sleep, and around midnight, it started to rain like nothing I’d ever experienced. 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.”
By early morning, the Guadalupe River had surged violently, rising over 15 feet and sweeping away parts of the camp.
Entire cabins disappeared under water and debris. Garza and Zárate gathered the girls, reassured them, and even wrote each child’s name on her arm in case they became separated.
They sang songs, distracted the girls from the chaos, and waited in the highest cabin area for help to arrive.
Eventually, food and other rescued girls began arriving at their cabin from other parts of the camp that had been destroyed. Garza said, “We were told 25 girls were missing.
They had found two survivors who had floated downstream, but 23 were still unaccounted for.” Conditions quickly worsened, prompting an urgent evacuation as helicopters and military personnel arrived to extract the remaining children.
The emotional toll was evident as Garza described seeing mattresses in trees, children’s clothes hanging from branches, and wreckage scattered across the floodplain. “It’s something I wouldn’t wish on anyone,” she said tearfully. “Two days before the flood, we were scheduled to be in one of the cabins that was washed away.”
The bravery of Garza and Zárate has resonated widely across social media, where they’ve been described as “guardian angels” and praised for their extraordinary courage and quick thinking during the deadliest U.S. weather disaster of 2025.
As of July 7, the Central Texas flooding has claimed at least 83 lives, with fatalities reported across multiple counties:
- Kerr County: 68
- Travis County: 6
- Burnet County: 4
- Williamson County: 2
- Kendall County: 2
- Tom Green County: 1
The Texas Military Department confirmed that 520 individuals have been rescued during the flooding, including 361 air evacuations via UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters and 159 ground rescues.
Search and rescue operations remain active, with dozens still missing—many of them children.
The devastation at Camp Mystic, a beloved all-girls Christian summer camp preparing to celebrate its centennial, has shaken families across the country.
The heroism displayed by Silvana Garza Valdez and Maria Paula Zárate stands out as a beacon of light amid unimaginable tragedy.
Authorities continue to urge the public to respect the privacy of victims’ families and refrain from reaching out using previously circulated contact information.
Emergency services remain focused on reunification, recovery, and support for survivors.
Local News
29-Year-Old Alex Rodriguez Found Dead on University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, No Foul Play Suspected
URBANA, Ill. — A 29-year-old Champaign man found dead on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus Monday morning has been identified as Alex C. Rodriguez, according to the Champaign County Coroner’s Office.
The University of Illinois Police Department (UIPD) responded to the area of Green and Wright streets at approximately 6:42 a.m. after receiving a report of an unresponsive person near the Alma Mater statue.
Officers arrived and found Rodriguez on a concrete bench. Emergency medical assistance was requested at the scene.
The Champaign County Coroner’s Office responded, and Rodriguez was pronounced dead at approximately 7:16 a.m., according to Coroner Laurie Brauer.
Authorities said Rodriguez was not affiliated with the University of Illinois.
UIPD provided an update Monday afternoon, saying preliminary observations at the scene revealed no signs of foul play.
Police also said there was no evidence of an ongoing threat to the university campus or surrounding community based on the information available when officers responded.
Because investigators did not identify an active threat, the university did not issue an Illini-Alert emergency notification.
The circumstances surrounding Rodriguez’s death have not been determined.
An autopsy has been scheduled, and the death remains under investigation by the University of Illinois Police Department.
Authorities have not released additional information about the circumstances leading to Rodriguez’s death.
The investigation remains ongoing, and additional details are expected as investigators receive further information from the autopsy and other evidence.
No foul play has been indicated based on the preliminary investigation.