“We couldn’t believe what happened there,” Marcelina Pryga told the Polish state news agency PAP. She is one of 24 Polish participants in the Camp America cultural exchange program who were at Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp in Texas, when it was struck by flash floods last Saturday.
The floods have claimed over 80 lives, as heavy rains caused the Guadalupe River to surge, flooding homes and camps along its banks, including Camp Mystic.
Located in Hunt, Kerr County, the camp was inundated when the river overflowed on Friday. About 750 people were at the camp, with some evacuated by helicopter.
Marcelina Pryga confirmed that all 24 Polish participants escaped unharmed.
“It’s been tough, but today is definitely better than yesterday. We’ve been placed in hotels and are resting for now,” she said.
Another Polish participant, Olaf Sokal, who has attended the camp three times, said much of the site was destroyed.
“Camp Mystic had wooden and partly brick cabins, some flooded up to the roof,” he explained.
He added that the camp owners’ father and director, Dick Eastland, died while rescuing children.
“He entered a car to evacuate children, but rising waters swept him away. He was found around 5 p.m. on Friday. He gave his life for others,” Sokal said.
President Trump is expected to visit Texas on Friday, July 11.
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Source: IAR/PAP/CNN