Pamela Brown, a CNN anchor and chief investigative correspondent, found herself overcome with emotion during a live broadcast on Sunday, July 6, as she returned to Camp Mystic in Texas Hill Country, a place where she spent summers as a little girl, now devastated by deadly flash floods.
The visit wasn’t just another assignment. Brown went back to report on the destruction left behind by the floodwaters that ripped through the area late on July 3 and into July 4, killing at least 68 people, including 28 children, according to the BBC. Among the victims was the camp’s longtime owner, Dick Eastland. Ten young campers and one counselor are still missing.
Brown had traveled to the camp along the Guadalupe River to film the aftermath, but as she stood in front of the cabins where the young girls had been staying, the moment hit her hard. “These are the cabins where the little girls were sleeping during the flash flooding over the 4th of July,” she said. “I can’t stop thinking about the fact that I was a little camper in one of those cabins 30 years ago.”
She recalled happy memories of swimming in the river, bouncing on the camp’s famous blob, and fossil hunting with her camp friends. “This river right here, the Guadalupe River, was a source of so much joy and fun,” she said. “And to think that this same river was the source of so much heartache, terror, and devastation. I just can’t wrap my head around it.”
As her voice cracked, Brown shared how families were arriving, desperately hoping for news about their missing daughters. “The family members coming out here to look for their loved ones. It’s just too much to bear.”
Law enforcement had to warn Brown and her crew to evacuate while they were filming, as another surge of water was expected. Later, broadcasting live from nearby Hunt, Texas, she described the surreal feeling of revisiting a place that once felt so safe and joyful. “It was a magical place,” she said, remembering how excited she’d been to go each summer.
Brown also spoke to a parent who had just dropped their daughter off at camp, echoing the same enthusiasm she once had. “All these girls, these sweet young campers, who had to evacuate and their families, so much innocence has now been lost,” she said. “You can’t help but think about them and pray for them. Just hope that more are found alive.”
On Instagram, she gave a more personal glimpse into her connection with Camp Mystic. She shared notes she had written home as a child and posted a video of her old camp bracelet. “Found my old Camp Mystic charm bracelet,” she wrote. “My heart is breaking.”
Camp Mystic had been hosting about 750 children when the flood hit. In a statement posted to its website, the camp confirmed the heartbreaking loss of 27 campers and counselors. “Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy,” the camp shared. “We are praying for them constantly.”
Rescue operations are ongoing, with local and state authorities still searching for the missing. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has warned that more heavy rain is expected, and the risk of flash flooding remains high.