**Father’s Final Moments During Texas Flood Captivate Nation: A Tragedy of Love and Loss**
In the aftermath of the **catastrophic Texas floods**, the harrowing story of **John Burgess**, a father who refused to let go of his children as raging waters swept them away, has become a devastating symbol of love, desperation, and tragedy.
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### **Flash Floods Tear Through Kerrville, Texas**
Torrential rains unleashed flash floods across **Kerrville** and surrounding areas, causing the **Guadalupe River** to rise **27 feet in under an hour**—a level of destruction residents say they’ve never seen.
At the heart of the disaster: **Blue Oak RV Park**, where **28 RVs** were obliterated in the chaos. With little warning and no clear evacuation orders, families were trapped as a wall of water surged through their homes.
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### **A Father’s Final Stand**
As the river engulfed the park, **John Burgess**, his wife **Julia**, and their two young sons were among the most vulnerable, their RV perched closest to the riverbank.
RV park owner **Lorena Guillen** recalled the moment her husband pleaded with John to hand over the children to rescuers:
> “My husband was yelling, ‘Please throw me your baby!’” Guillen said tearfully.
> “But John just held on, refusing to let go.”
Moments later, **John and the boys were swept away**. John has since been confirmed dead. Julia and the children are **still missing**.
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### **A Family’s Fourth of July Turns to Horror**
Just hours before the flood, the **Burgess family** had been celebrating Independence Day at the RV park. Their **young daughter**, away at summer camp, was the only one spared.
Guillen remembered the children laughing that day—now, her property has become a graveyard. At least **eight bodies** were recovered from the park, with many more missing nearby.
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### **Calls for Change Amid Heartbreak**
Guillen is now calling for serious upgrades in emergency preparedness:
> “Why don’t we have alarms blaring at every property?” she asked.
> “Something must change.”
Despite limited resources, she defended local authorities:
> “They did the best they could with what they had.”
Still, **outdated technology and lack of flood alert systems** are being blamed for the night’s high death toll.
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### **Another Father’s Final Words: “I Love You So Much”**
Tragedy wasn’t isolated to one family. **Jeff Ramsey**, a 61-year-old insurance salesman, also perished in the flood. Before he died, he left a final voicemail for his children.
> “He said, ‘Buddy, I love you so much. It doesn’t look like we’re going to make it. Tell Rachey I love her,’” said his son Jake.
That voicemail is now the **last memory** his children have of their father—a gut-wrenching reminder of how fast life can be stolen by nature’s fury.
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### **A Nation Mourns and Demands Accountability**
As federal aid flows in and families grieve, the spotlight is now on **why more wasn’t done sooner**. From failed alert systems to underfunded infrastructure, the **calls for reform grow louder**.
But amid the devastation, the image of John Burgess clutching his children until the very end has left an indelible mark.
In a moment of unspeakable terror, he showed the world **a father’s unbreakable love**—even when the river showed no mercy.