CENTER POINT, Texas – Along the muddy banks of the Guadalupe River, about 10 miles from Kerrville, a group of veterans, first responders, and every day people are doing more than just helping. They’re answering a call to serve once again.
For the past several days, Lone Star Heroes Outdoors, a nonprofit organization that typically provides outdoor therapy for veterans and first responders, has pivoted its mission. In the aftermath of severe flooding, the group has been leading search and relief efforts in Center Point and surrounding communities.
“We’ve trekked over 22 miles, 23 miles in the last three days,” said Luis Santana, a Navy veteran and founder of Lone Star Heroes Outdoors. “We started Friday night as soon as the water allowed us into Kerrville. We’ve been bringing in supplies and joining the search ever since.”
The group is made up of veterans, first responders, and volunteers some with search and rescue experience, others with a simple desire to help.
“It’s eye-opening,” Santana said. “I grew up in this area. It’s overwhelming in a good way to see people from all over, from Hunt, Comfort, and even down to Boerne, coming together. They’re putting themselves in danger just to give these families some closure.”
Equipped with chainsaws and unwavering determination, the group is cutting through brush piles and tall grass left behind by the floodwaters. In one particularly sobering discovery, they located a truck buried under dirt along the river. The vehicle’s condition has raised concerns about whether anyone might have been inside when it was swept away.
“Right now, we’re waiting on Texas Search and Rescue to bring in dogs,” Santana said. “These brush piles are so dense it’s nearly impossible to dig by hand. The dogs can help us find hotspots so we can notify the proper authorities. It becomes a locate-and-recover effort, rather than just searching blindly.”
As the community grapples with the damage, others like Mitchell Lunsford, a Fort Worth resident visiting family during the flood, are pitching in wherever they can by handing out water and offering a kind word.
“It’s devastation,” Lunsford said. “A lot of people lost everything. A lot lost their lives. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen. We’re doing what we can.”
Despite the heartache, there’s a growing sense of unity in Center Point. Veterans, residents, and volunteers, most off the clock and out of uniform, are working side by side in the thick of debris and heartbreak, offering hope where it’s needed most.
