HUNT, Texas – As we’ve covered the Hill Country floods from the Fourth of July, there have been countless stories of tragedy and heartbreak.
But there have also been stories of hope and survival.
One 12-year-old Georgetown boy was staying at Camp La Junta during the floods and is telling his story of how he made it out alive.
This was Kolton Taylor’s first year at Camp La Junta located in Hunt, just 12 miles west of Kerrville.
He was dropped off at the camp last Wednesday.
His mother, Janet Davis, said Kerr County has a long history in their family and they were elated to send Kolton for his first year at camp.
“Camp La Junta has been in my family for decades,” said Davis. “My uncles went, my cousins went, my own brother went, and it was his time to go. We were so excited. All the girls in my family, from my great-grandmother down, went to Waldemar.”
Davis said growing up in the area in the summers, she’s never seen floods like this past Fourth of July.
“It rains and the river rises, but never to this extent,” said Davis.
Kolton said he was woken up by a fellow camper at around 2 a.m. Friday morning.
“[He] was yelling, ‘It’s flooding, it’s flooding,’” said Kolton. “I looked down at the floor of the bottom floor of my cabin and I see, and there’s people ankle deep in the water.”
He said counselors rush him and other campers out to higher ground, where he stayed hours outside before getting shelter at a field office.
“When the sun started coming up at like 6 a.m., I saw the Guadalupe River and it was extremely high," said Kolton. “Helicopters were flying all over the place looking for people, and I saw so many trees just broken down. The mess hall was completely destroyed. Basically, any buildings that are anywhere near the river got destroyed.”
Back at home in Georgetown, Davis said she was woken up by calls from several family members about the floods.
“I immediately called the camp, but as to be expected, the phone lines were completely dead,” said Davis. “I quickly checked my email, and there was an email sent out earlier that morning saying that all the campers were safe and accounted for."
Although she received that email, Davis said reports of missing children had her worried.
“From start to finish from the flood happening to when he was safe in our arms was probably about 17 hours and the worst ones of my life,” said Davis.
Kolton said he was able to keep in good spirits while waiting for reunification with family by playing games with friends and sticking together.
“There’s no describable feeling for what I went through,” said Kolton. “When I saw [my mom] again, it was like I saw her for the first time in like a year."
Kolton said this is an experience he’ll never forget. Both him and his mother are processing the situation and hoping to help other impacted families.
“My family will do whatever we can to make everything as good as possible for everyone else,” said Kolton.
