Houston gathers to thank those who died saving children at Camp Mystic during Texas flood

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Hundreds of people gathered at St. John's School in River Oaks on Monday evening to pray for Camp Mystic.

At least 27 campers and employees were killed, and 11 remain missing after floods ravaged the all-girls Christian camp on July 4.

"I was just like, 'What's going on? I'm so scared,'" 10-year-old Vivienne Nobles said, who was evacuated from the camp. "We are safe, and we're lucky to have (the staff who helped)."

Vivienne said she is mourning friends who were killed in the storm. Among them are 9-year-old Houston resident Lainey Landry and 8-year-old Anna Margaret Bellows.

"She was so sweet, so caring," Vivienne said.

ABC13 spoke with Anna Margaret's mother, Dr Patricia Bellows, who described her daughter as "a radiant joy."

Anna Margaret was staying in Camp Mystic's Bubble Inn cabin when the water rose. Bellows told ABC13 that to date, no survivors have been found from the cabin.

The girl's counselor, 19-year-old Houston native Chloe Childress, was killed in the flood. Her co-counselor, Katherine Ferruzzo, is still missing.

Camp Director Dick Eastland was killed while attempting to evacuate girls from the cabin.

"The main thing that I want to say is that I have unending gratitude for these brave camp counselors who safely evacuated so many campers and to the two camp counselors who gave their lives trying to protect my baby and to Dick Eastland, who died protecting my baby," Bellows said.

Houston 8-year-old Blakely McCrorry's grandfather, Doug McLeod, said she remained missing as of Monday evening.

"Of course, we hope for a miracle, but it just looks grim at this point," McLeod said. "I know the directors and counselors did the best they could."

Stacey Merchant told ABC13 she spent her summers at Camp Mystic growing up. Her 12-year-old daughter, Reese, was evacuated from the camp this past weekend.

"The Eastland family is just like our own family; Dick, and (his wife) Tweety have been like a mother and a father to every single girl that has ever gone to Camp Mystic," she said. "(Dick) would have done it all over again, and I'm not surprised one bit."

Merchant said she received her first letter Reese sent from camp in the mail Monday.

"I just realized (Monday) that some parents are gonna be getting letters, that first letter from their daughter (Monday), and that's heartbreaking to even imagine. It's hard to process," she said.

Merchant told ABC13 she felt it would "be good" for her and her daughter to spend time at the vigil with their friends from camp.

In addition to prayer, the group sang songs from Mystic. Linked hand in hand, they sang, "From the lake, from the hills, from the sky; all is well, safely rest, God is nigh. Goodnight, Camp Mystic, we love you."

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