When the Guadalupe River overflowed and engulfed Camp Mystic, panic and fear gripped families desperate to find their children.
Among those missing was 9-year-old Janie Hunt—a young girl experiencing her first summer away from home. For 36 agonizing hours, hope remained fragile. In the end, it was not a voice that revealed her presence, but a simple necklace of bright beads, spelling her name, that told rescuers her story.
Janie had only been at Camp Mystic for five days, exploring the Texas outdoors alongside her cousins. She wore a beaded necklace, a cherished gift from her grandmother, each bead forming the letters of her name. To Janie, it was more than jewelry—it was a talisman that gave her courage.
When torrential rains transformed the Guadalupe River into a violent flood, the camp was unprepared. Cabins were swept away, roads disappeared under water, and dozens of children and staff struggled to survive. Janie was carried off by the current, missing for nearly two days.
Her grandmother, Margaret Hunt, recalled the necklace with clarity. “She wore it every day. It made her feel brave. And when they found her… it was still there. That’s how we knew it was our Janie.”
Janie’s body was found near the camp owner, Dick Eastland, who had perished while trying to protect the children. In her final hours, Janie comforted others—reassuring homesick campers, wiping away tears, and offering the fearless smile her family knew so well.
The flood claimed 27 lives, leaving communities across Texas reeling. Vigils were held, candles lit for the children and adults lost.
Rescue teams recovered fragments of lives—mud-stained shoes, journals, and one water-soaked sketchbook filled with Janie’s colorful drawings.
A rescuer, a father himself, found a page depicting a river beneath a bright blue sky. “She saw beauty in everything,” he whispered.
Amid the tragedy, stories of heroism emerged—counselors linking arms to guide children through rising waters, neighbors using boats to rescue strangers from flooded fields. Janie’s necklace became a symbol, her courage touching people far beyond Texas, inspiring classrooms, churches, and homes across the country.
At her memorial, classmates hung their own bead necklaces on a tree outside the church—each carrying a name, a memory, and a prayer. “She would have loved that,” Margaret said. “Janie always believed small things could have big meanings.”
Conclusion
Janie Hunt’s brief life left a profound impact. In response to the tragedy, her family founded Janie’s Light, a nonprofit dedicated to making youth camps safer and better prepared for emergencies. Through emergency kits, radios, and education, her memory continues to guide others.
Her grandmother’s words capture the sentiment of many: “We couldn’t save her, but maybe her light can guide someone else home.”
Janie’s story serves as a reminder of nature’s unpredictable power, the quiet bravery of a child, and how even the smallest treasures—a beaded necklace—can carry a legacy of love.