Volunteers in Texas return flood survivors' belongings found along Guadalupe River

A volunteer effort in Central Texas has returned thousands of personal items lost when the Guadalupe River flooded last July. The river rose from about three feet to 30 feet in 45 minutes on July 4, 2025, after heavy overnight rain. At least 136 people died, including campers at several sites along the waterway.

Recovery operation Dondi Voigt Persyn began collecting objects near Boerne, about 35 miles from the hardest-hit area. She and her friend DeAnna created the Facebook group FOUND on the Guadalupe River to post photographs of recovered items. A warehouse in Ingram, 20 miles from Kerr County, was set up with stations for cleaning photographs, hard goods, and clothing.

Volunteers washed, catalogued, and stored items in sealed bags for later pickup.

Individual returns Elida Sierra Lutz identified her daughter's white Crocs by two remaining charms while scrolling through the Facebook group. She later collected the shoes, her son's black hoodie and glasses, and her daughter's lifejacket during a scheduled visit.

Patty Hyatt reclaimed five necklaces within hours of a July 7 post. The retired teacher had lost the items when floodwater swept through her trailer. The warehouse remained open for scheduled pickups after the holidays. Some survivors left with storage bins of belongings; others found no items and departed with only their accounts of the event.