KERR COUNTY,
Texas — A devastating
scene unfolded in the
Hill Country on the
Fourth of July as at least 27
people, including children, died due to
flooding in Kerr County. That number is expected to increase and search and rescue operations continue Saturday.
While KENS 5 is still working to confirm the identities of those lost, here is what we know about the
people who we have identified.
Jane Ragsdale
The
Kerrville Daily
Times confirmed that Jane Ragsdale, a camp director at Heart O’ the Hills Camp in
Hunt, died in
Friday’s flash floods.
Ragsdale was a camper and counselor at Heart O’ the Hills Camp in the 1970’s before becoming a co-owner of the camp in 1976. She served as program director before becoming the camp director in 1988.
The Heart O’ the Hills website describes Ragsdale as “the heart and soul” of camp as she had received the Pioneer Trailblazer Award from the Pioneer Alumni Association in 2022 and the Speedy Altman Award, a
national lifetime achievement award from the Camp Owners and Directors Association.
Renee Smajstrla
Renee Smajstrla’s
family has confirmed that she died due to the
flooding. Renee was a camper at Camp Mystic, who at last check still have about 23 girls unaccounted for.
“Renee has been found and while not the outcome we prayed for, the
social media outreach likely assisted the first responders in helping to identify her so quickly,” the
family said in a Facebook post. “We are thankful she was with her friends and having the
time of her
life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday. She will forever be living her best
life at Camp Mystic. Please continue to pray for the
other families in
Kerrville. We are now trying to make our way
home from Italy to be with Michelle’s
family.”
Thank you to all our friends and family for all the prayers and outreach. Renee has been found and while not the…
Posted by Shawn Salta on Friday, July 4, 2025
Jeff Ramsey
Eric Steele confirmed to KENS 5’s sister station, WFAA , that
his brother-in-law, Jeff Ramsey, died after floodwaters rushed through the
HTR campground along the
Guadalupe River in
Kerrville overnight on
Friday, where the
family was staying.
Ramsey’s
body has been recovered, Steele confirmed. Jeff’s wife, Tanya Ramsey, remains
missing as of 11:15 a.m. Saturday. Steele said Tanya’s phone was found inside her windbreaker jacket.
Julian Ryan
When the river water started to rise,
Julian Ryan, who lives along the river with his
fiance, two kids and his mother, sprang into action. Those actions ended up being the last of his
life.
Through tears and shock, the 27-
year-old’s
family members said the father, brother, and fiancé died a hero.
“He died a hero, and that will never go unnoticed,” Ryan’s sister, Connie Salas, said.
We will continue to add victims as we confirm their identities.
#FeliciaRayOwens #TheFeliciaFiles #FROUSA #LocalVoices #IndependentMedia #HerSheSquad
#FROUSA #HillCountryNews #NewBraunfels #ComalCounty #LocalVoices #IndependentMedia
#FeliciaRayOwens #TheFeliciaFiles #FROUSA #LocalVoices #IndependentMedia #HerSheSquad
