A heartbroken local says a father who was clinging to a tree with his children during the devastating Texas floods refused to let them go — and was swept away with them.
Lorena Guillen, owner of the Blue Oak RV Park in Kerr County, said her husband was in the water pleading with the man to hand over the kids, according to the New York Post.
“My husband was trying to help — he begged, ‘Please throw me your baby!’ But the father held on tight,” Guillen recalled Monday. “Then they were all swept away.”
The father, identified as John Burgess of Liberty, Texas, was later confirmed dead, according to KWTX. He has been identified as the younger brother of country star singer Pat Green per The Sun. Pat Green posted a heartfelt tribute to his brother on Instagram.
John Burgess’ wife, Julia, and their two young sons remain missing, while the couple’s daughter—who had been staying at a nearby summer camp—was found safe. The family had traveled to the Blue Oak RV Park to celebrate the July 4 holiday. According to park owner Lorena Guillen, the children had been excited for the trip. All 28 RVs at the park that morning were destroyed in the flood, and Guillen said the screams of terror as they were swept away will haunt her forever.
“We heard people screaming throughout the night,” she said. “The cabins from the RV park next door came floating, and they were getting smashed against the trees.