The devastating Texas floods have taken so many lives, and many others remain unaccounted for. According to the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook post on Monday, July 7, so far, 84 bodies have been recovered from the county, including 56 adults and 28 children.
With this, the death toll, which had continued to rise since the state was struck by flash floods early Friday, the total number of casualties is somewhere near 104. According to the Associated Press, the numbers could increase with the rescue operations ongoing.
John Burgess was also among the victims, who got swept away by the rising waters during the tragic Fourth of July flooding in the Texas Hill Country. According to a report by local media KWTX, Burgess was staying in an RV camp in the area, with his wife, Julia Anderson, and their two boys, when the flooding occurred after the Guadalupe River rose around 26 feet within 45 minutes.
According to The New York Post, Lorena Guillen, owner of the Blue Oak RV Park, further revealed how John got swept away while trying to save his babies. He was reportedly holding on to a tree while not letting go of his sons.
The Burgess Family: John, Julia and their two sons (daughter was away at camp), were camping near the Guadalupe River in Kerrville. They were swept away.
John has been found deceased. ✝️#TexasFloods #txwx pic.twitter.com/hGq4yEECPu
— Scott (@RandomHeroWX) July 5, 2025
Guillen told the outlet, “My husband was in the water trying to ask them, ‘Please throw me your baby!’ The man was holding tight to his babies, and he just got swept away.” The owner confirmed that the Burgess family had been staying at the RV park to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday.
“The kids were so excited to be here,” Guillen added.
According to KWTX, John and his family, who lived in Liberty, went to Hill Country to pick up their eldest daughter from a camp. The site was unaffected by the flooding, and the daughter is safe. The outlet further reported that although the bodies of the Burgess parents have been recovered, their two sons remain missing.
🚨 MISSING FAMILY IN TEXAS FLOODING 🚨
📍 Kerrville, Texas (Kerr County)
Please keep the Burgess family in your hearts as the search continues following the catastrophic flash flooding along the Guadalupe River on July 4, 2025.
Four members of the family are still missing after… pic.twitter.com/jIQ9qchBlp
— A Voice For The Voiceless (@AwarenessTCS) July 6, 2025
Winnie Taylor, who was a neighbor to the Burgess family, told WLUC, “The neighbors around here, we’ve all been praying and everything, and it’s just a sad, sad situation. I just can’t hardly believe it.”
The owner of the RV park further revealed how the tragedy struck Friday morning. She noted that the rising waters destroyed all 28 of the RVs parked at the camp. She told The Post, “We heard people screaming throughout the night. “The cabins from the RV park next door came floating, and they were getting smashed against the trees. ‘Help me! Help me!’ — that was the main thing. You heard a lot of screaming; it was just too much.”
