HUMBLE, Texas – Search and rescue crews continue to sift through debris, hoping to find some of the victims swept away by floodwaters over the July 4 weekend alive.
For family and friends, that means holding on to hope despite already enduring great loss.
Jeff Wilson, a Humble ISD educator, was among those found dead in the recent flooding. His 12-year-old son, Shiloh, and wife, Amber, remain missing.
A close family friend, Clint Wilson, spoke with KPRC 2 and said he remains optimistic they will be found alive.
Wilson described the family as a tight-knit rodeo family. He said they were in Kerr County for a youth rodeo where Shiloh, a third-generation cowboy, was set to compete.
“They were the most together family and they loved rodeo. They eat, bleed, sleep rodeo,” Clint said. “If you saw one of them, the other two were really near. They never went anywhere apart. They always traveled together. They were very tight and full of love.”
Though Clint and Jeff share the same last name, they are not related but have been friends since college. Clint is grieving Jeff’s loss while staying hopeful about the ongoing search for Amber and Shiloh.
“The last information I got was from Amber’s brother,” Clint said. “They still haven’t found Amber and Shiloh. They found Shiloh’s rigging bag, some books, and a saddle about 13 miles down the river from where they were.”
Wilson said the loss of life and impact on so many over the weekend has weighed heavily on his mind.
“It’s tough. It really hit me pretty hard Sunday night,” he said. “I’ve been pretty tough to the deal, but we’re just praying.”
The Humble ISD community is doing the same. They recently held a vigil to remember Jeff Wilson, a Kingwood Park High School teacher who spent 30 years as an educator.
When asked about the last time he spoke with Jeff, Clint said their last conversation was when Jeff was leaving for Kerrville.
“We talked about needing to get together for supper,” Clint said.
Jeff was staying at a campground in Kerrville. Their last conversation with friends was around 10:30 p.m., when they mentioned being so close to the river they could step into it.
No one has heard from the family since that night.