KERR COUNTY, TEXAS — On July 11, a Texas National Guard helicopter spotted a bright orange SOS painted on the roof of an old observatory near Comfort — a signal that led to the miraculous rescue of ten girls missing since the July 4 floods.

The girls, ages 8 to 13, had been swept away from Camp Mystic when the Guadalupe River surged 26 feet in just 45 minutes. They found shelter in the abandoned observatory, ten miles downstream, surviving on rainwater and canned food. Thirteen-year-old Emma, using found art supplies, painted the SOS that saved them. “We thought we’d be forgotten,” she told rescuers.

Pilot Major Sarah Nguyen called the signal “a lifeline.” The girls were weak but unharmed, having barricaded the doors against animals and braved days of rain with blankets for warmth. Emotional reunions followed their airlift to safety, bringing the number of still-missing campers down to 17.

The disaster has claimed at least 81 lives statewide, with Kerr County hardest hit. The observatory, once forgotten, is now seen as a symbol of survival and hope. Governor Abbott praised the rescue, while the community rallies with murals, relief funds, and ongoing searches.

Emma’s quick thinking has earned her praise as a hero — a beacon in a story that’s far from over. With more rain on the way, families cling to hope that more miracles are still to come.