Jane Ragsdale Heart O’ the hills camp director drowns trying to warn and save counselors amid flash flooding in Kerr County, central Texas. Her death brings total death toll to 24 since banks along Guadalupe River breaking.
Jane Ragsdale, camp director at Heart O’ the Hills Camp in Hunt lost her life as she attempted to warn and save counselors amid Friday’s flash flooding in Texas.
Ragsdale was a camper and counselor in the 1970s. She became co-owner in the camp in 1976 and served as program director before becoming camp director in 1988.
Noted a post shared on social media, ‘Owner of Heart of the Hills, Jane, 67, drowned looking for counsellors. They were in between terms but counsellors were there Counselors had already gone to higher ground. She was looking for them.’
Camp Mystic director dies trying to save young girls as 2 young girls confirmed dead
WATCH: You can see the overwhelmed Guadalupe River after it rose rose 21.6 feet in one hour due to heavy rains that dumped about 10 inches of rain over the area.
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More than 20 girls at Christian summer camp missing after Texas flash floods
The Heart O’ the Hills website describes Ragsdale as “the heart and soul” of camp, with the The Kerrville Daily Times describing her as the ‘pillar of the community.’
Ragsdale received the Pioneer Trailblazer Award from the Pioneer Alumni Association in 2022 for her dedication to the camp. She also received the Speedy Altman Award, a national lifetime achievement award from the Camp Owners and Directors Association.
Hundreds of people have gathered on Facebook to share their memories and mourn the loss of Ragsdale on the Heart O’ the Hills Official Fanpage, where the news of her death first broke.
Posted the Fanpage in part: ‘There has been catastrophic flooding in the area overnight and we remain under flood watch until at least 5 PM today. Thankfully, camp was not in session, and most of those who were on camp at the time have been accounted for and are on high ground.
‘However, we have received word that Jane Ragsdale did not make it. We are mourning the loss of a woman who influenced countless lives and was the definition of strong and powerful.
‘Rescue efforts are ongoing throughout the county as many people have been impacted by this devastation.’
Texas officials said 24 people had to date died along with at least 23 others, mostly young girls part of the Camp Mystic continuing to remain unaccountable due to the flash flooding in the Kerrville area. A desperate search for the more than two dozen continues.
