A young woman’s desperate cry for help became her final message as catastrophic floods ravaged Central Texas over the July 4th weekend. Joyce Badon, just 21 years old, texted her family a chilling message – “we’re being washed away” – moments before floodwaters engulfed the riverside home where she and three friends were staying.
The Guadalupe River rose with terrifying speed, swelling to the height of a two-story building in less than an hour according to local reports. The flash flooding has claimed at least 107 lives across six counties, including dozens of children from a nearby Christian summer camp. Many more remain missing as search teams comb through debris along the devastated riverbanks.
Joyce had been spending the holiday weekend at a farmhouse with friends Ella Cahill, Reese Manchaca, and Aiden Heartfield when disaster struck. In their last phone call with Aiden’s father, who owned the property, the group reported the house being swept away before the line went dead. “They just got washed away,” Aiden could be heard saying in those final moments.
For days, volunteers and grieving family members searched tirelessly. Joyce’s father Ty described the heartbreaking discovery of a young boy’s body while combing the flood zone. On July 7th, their worst fears were confirmed when Joyce’s remains were found. Reese’s body was later recovered, while Ella and Aiden remain missing.
Joyce’s mother Kellye shared her anguish on Facebook, posting a photo of a rainbow over their home as a sign of hope. “All is well with my soul,” she wrote, quoting what she believes was her daughter’s message from heaven. The devastating floods have left entire communities shattered, with many still searching for loved ones as the death toll continues to rise.
