In what’s being called one of the most incredible survival stories in U.S. history, three young girls missing after the Texas flood were found alive — after 10 days — huddled inside the hollow trunk of an old oak tree.

The girls, ages 8 to 10, were discovered just a mile from the destroyed Camp Wrenwood. A volunteer hiker heard a faint cry near a collapsed tree and alerted rescuers, who uncovered the girls — Emily Rivera, Zoey Nash, and Hope Lin — curled up inside, wrapped in wet towels and using bark as a door.

Their survival came down to two key things: collecting rainwater with plastic wrappers and remembering a pre-camp safety drill that taught them to stay dry, stay together, and stay calm.

“We thought no one was coming… but we believed in each other,” they whispered to rescuers.

Though dehydrated and covered in bites, they had no major injuries. Across the country, people are calling them heroes, with hashtags like #HollowTreeHeroes and #FaithFoundThem spreading quickly.

As one responder said: “No food. No fire. Just bravery. They saved each other.”