Jane Ragsdale dies in fatal Kerr County floods

Jane Ragsdale dies in fatal Kerr County floods

Fatal Kerr County floods death of Jane Ragsdale

The unfortunate demise of Heart O’ the Hills camp’s director occurred when torrential waters submerged the Texas Hill Country region on Friday. According to an official announcement from the camp, Jane Ragsdale was one of the individuals who lost their life in this devastating event.

A total of forty-three fatalities have been confirmed by the Kerr County Sheriff, Larry Leitha, as a result of the flooding that took place. The Heart O’ the Hills camp, situated along the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas, was operating during a break between sessions when the deluge began, with no children present. This timing contributed to the tragic outcome.

Jane Ragsdale, who had co-owned the exclusively female-focused camp since 1976, commenced her journey with the organization as a camper and later served as a counselor before ascending to the role of director in 1988. The camp’s official website highlighted her as the central figure representing its spirit and mission.

In a statement released Saturday, the camp conveyed deep shock and profound grief over Ragsdale’s passing. They emphasized that she personified the camp’s values and the positive growth they aimed to foster among the young girls they hosted each summer. The physical destruction to the camp’s infrastructure is currently being evaluated and appears to be of a serious nature.

As a direct consequence of this tragedy, the camp has decided not to operate its upcoming session, originally set to begin on Sunday, July 6. Furthermore, they are unable to fulfill any pending orders from their retail store at this time. The statement also noted that the organization is focused on providing updates as they become available, while dealing with personal losses across the community.

The heavy rainfall, estimated at between ten and twelve inches, was a key factor in the severity of the flooding on July 4. Sheriff Leitha reported that fifteen of the fatalities were minors. Rescue operations have thus far accounted for more than eight hundred and fifty people, with several individuals still unaccounted for, including twenty-seven young women from Camp Mystic, another all-female camp located near the same river.