news
Mexican Counselors Silvana Garza Valdez and Maria Paula Zárate Hailed as Heroes After Rescuing Camp Mystic Girls During Texas Flooding
Discussion
Jfc.. that website is ad ridden to hell
Yeah, thought it better to copy the article contents to the comments here. Nobody’s voted on that comment yet though, wonder if it’s visible to everyone.
I can’t see it unfortunately
Yeah it's not visible. Wierd because it shows up on your history but when I click that it tells me 'this space is empty'
I was trying to read to find out if these were the girls who went missing during the flooding but I kept getting ad popups and could not read the article.
ty for the warning
It's almost like Hispanic people are part of our communities! Hmmm
It’s almost like healthy societies don’t exclude/denigrate/abuse on the basis of race or origin
Wild
That website is absolutely riddled with ads, spam and pop-ups to the point that I couldn't even read the article. Probably best to avoid it.
These comments are always funny as fuck to me. What do you expect when you're raw dogging the internet in 2025? You need to use protection.
I dont see a single ad, spam, or anything on that site with Brave browser. This is 100% a you problem, and would take you less than 60 seconds to fix.
Download Brave. Set it to be your default browser. Enjoy ad/spam/pop-up free browsing.
Why are people downvoting you lol. uBlock was always my go to but Google really started cracking down. Brave functions well and has some nice added features. To add brave loads pages faster for me than chrome or Firefox.
This is not an ad just someone who was pleasantly surprised with Brave as a browser
"100% a you problem" comes off as condescending.
does ublock origin or even ad block plus not work for you?
In France they would have been granted citizenship from the president.
So are they going to Alligator Auschwitz now?
Republicans already furiously masturbating to the idea of them dying in a swamp
Give them citizenship immediately if they need/want it.
Believe it or not, straight to Alcatraz
I hate that Americans are at the point where a person has to risk their life and become a hero in a natural disaster circumstance to be deemed "worthy" to be an American citizen. Most Americans wouldn't be willing to risk their life for anyone or anything, or they'd be the ones needing saved because they ignored safety warnings (see every single hurricane season where people decide they can "ride out the storm like always").
Look that doesn’t make them worthy. The headline makes them targets.
I understand that, but for some people who lean conservative but still call themselves democrats for example, they see citizenship as something to be earned, and if you aren't extraordinary, you don't deserve it in their eyes. It's a consequence of "American Exceptionalism".
It's a sad state of affairs when my first thought is 'How long until ICE comes after them?'. And I see I'm not the only one...
Visibility means that people who are racist will immediately report them to ICE. I'm certain that even if they already are citizens, they'll be getting a visit sooner or later.
They fail the paint swatch test, and that's all that matters to some people.
They’ll be in ICE custody before the week’s out.
Imagine they there are people asking them to get deported lol. America is broken.
Great story, crap website!
How the heck did they let this happen? We can't just keep reacting to disasters after they've already taken place. What about preventing them in the first place? And yes, we should really be investing more in flood prediction tech.
I saw a picture of the camp from satellite, it’s built in an old riverbed. Another church summer camp built on the banks of the same old riverbed flooded like this back in ‘87 and for some reason they decided to build another one in the riverbed. Then, last year, their county voted down flash flood warning sirens because they were too expensive. And finally, the NWS alerted Texas officials there could be flash flooding in that area that day and they just… didn’t pass that along.
“ Then, last year, their county voted down flash flood warning sirens because they were too expensive.”
Oh apparently that’s not even it. They had $5m to spend on it but they didn’t want Bidens evil federal money.
Someone on a Texas subreddit was reading county meeting PDFs.
“ COMMISSIONER BELEW: We have money in the bank, $5.1 million, that was sent to Kerr County. JUDGE KELLY: We didn't ask for it. They sent it.
COMMISSIONER BELEW: They sent it.
MS. DEWELL: Exactly.
COMMISSIONER BELEW: The money is in the bank right now. Hasn't been spent. In the event that you don't spend it, you send it back. That's part of the Treasury's rules on it. If you do spend it, whatever percentage, there would be no expense to the taxpayers in Kerr County.”
I mean disaster response and prevention would be nice, but if we give more tax cuts to the top . 5% that will trickle down and we'll have the bestest and yugest disaster program.
You heard it just in Texas - "Flood prevention and awareness is something the taxpayer doesn't want to pay"...
I don't think there's a need to say more...
America pays its politicians in both taxes and donations to endlessly campaign. They're treated like rock stars and gods while doing nothing to benefit the public. They steal the money meant for infrastructure and public programs.
As long as the American people are fighting each other (or immigrants) the country will continue to decline. Only developed nation without single payer health care... almost as if these tragedies are allowed to happen by design.
politicians love disasters
you'd think after katrina in 2005 (where texas even went and housed some newly homeless new orleans citizens), they would've invested in that very thing.
Also, did the camp have flood protocols? Was someone awake and watching the weather? I do agree that the government bears a lot of responsibility for this, but were there flood drills and was someone on staff watching the weather, or were they relying on the government and Jesus to keep them safe?
I know everyone likes to armchair quarterback but I am very aware of flooding potential when I am near a river or creek, especially while camping. I will not rent or buy housing on rivers. If this were my camp all those kids would have been at higher ground long before the flood happened just based on the volume that was coming down. I grew up in an area with several severe deadly flash floods and I do not ever let my guard down around flowing water.
What's damning about your question is that a different camp in the same area did have a flood watch and protocols in place that they activated and all of their kids are safe.
It's heartbreaking that it could have been prevented so easily as seen in the other camp.
10+ inches of rain fell starting at 1am.
I hope ICE doesn't deport these heroes like they have others.
As a former Girl Scout leader...I'm bawling my eyes out now. I know the girls and their parents are so grateful they were there when Mom and Dad couldn't be.
But all brown people are criminals,right?
/s (just case)
Keep these girls safe and as far away from ICE as possible.
I fear for their safety now 😞
I worry the attention is gonna have ICE black bagging them away. They can’t allow any positive attention towards immigrants. It undermines their hate propaganda.
Edit: Looks like I’m not the only one with this immediate fear and that’s just very sad.
And now they have to go into hiding cause they have Hispanic names and such?
They'll be deported soon I'm sure.
More than weak republicans did. All the praise to these girls.
Silvana Garza Valdez and Maria Paula I'll bet ICE will deport them in the next few weeks
Don't say their names out loud. Trumps ice might go after them.
"Heros, schmeros. Deport em all, I say!"- Donnie
Oh shit, here comes ICE………
ICE is too busy pulling their dicks out in front of elementary school kids and urinating on their school buildings.
True heroism. I thank God that we had them with us 🙌
Well now that their names are out there, off to El Salvador they go.
They look so cool and confident.
And the admin the villains for cutting the funds that should have prevented the deaths….
These young women deserve all the admiration, it's hard to keep a level head in an extreme emergency. Not only did they do that, they were compassionate and prioritized saving lives.
This made me legit tear up--what amazing, strong women.
Especially because "in case they get separated" is actually "because they knew they might need to identify bodies."
This. They knew the heartbreaking possibility and still did what they could to keep those girls calm and optimistic.
So grim--just imagining myself writing on their arms while pretending to be cheerful, just oof.
I read that as they wrote the child's name on their own arm. Like a checklist or rocall...
“We began writing the girls’ names on their skin, wherever it could be visible,” Zárate said. From an interview with the LA Times.
Thanks. Clásico case of me reading the title and not the actual article.
Why would they do that?
If the group of girls they were with weren't all their normal group so they didn't know them all well, it could have been a way to say "yes, this child was with me," if they got separated so that they'd have an idea of where the child's last location was.
Not saying that's the correct interpretation, but I could see that being helpful.
That makes sense. I didn’t even think of them not knowing all the girls that well!
The optimistic answer is the one ILootEverything gave.
The other answer is that it would make it easier to identify the body if something worse happened. Sadly (like, sad topic not sad it was part of training) it was part of camp (not this camp) safety training back when I was younger, to write names on the kids, since kids don't typically carry forms of ID.
That’s also what I understood.
At first I was wondering how writing their names on their arms would help if they got separated. Then it hit me.
Was it a list of names on Garza/Zárate‘s arm(s), or was each child’s name written on their own arm?
If it’s the former I don’t think it’s for potential body-identification, if it’s the latter I think it very well could be. Sad thought.
“We began writing the girls’ names on their skin, wherever it could be visible,” Zárate said. LA Times interview, it was the latter.
And they’re young! 19 yrs old! To be that level-headed in dire conditions, especially at 19, is so admirable. No freaking out, straight to business mode.
I completely agree. I am blown away by their bravery and the way they reacted to this horrible disaster.
I commented this earlier this week when the news first came out but I used to be a camp counselor in high school and I CANNOT imagine the fucking terror these counselors went through waking up to flooded cabins.
Even being at a super safe camp in the mountains in Oregon I was CONSTANTLY aware of the fact that these 20 eight year olds are MY responsibility and while yes, there were older camp staff there to help and supervise if we needed to call them, it was 200 kids, 10-12 15/16 year olds, and like 3 actual adults for a week-long stay.
Their bravery and level-headedness are truly amazing and I'm so proud of them and so glad they saved their campers as best they could.
I was a camp counselor when I was maybe 20, and even at the then I was scared I’d choke in an emergency. I think I was first aid trained, and we did emergency drills, but every once in a while I looked around and thought wow we’re all barely adults ourselves and it’s wild that we’re being trusted with the safety of all these kids. It’s surprising we don’t question this more, most babysitters and lifeguards are still in high school, and this is a lot of responsibility to put on them.
I used to baby sit 4 kids when I was 14 and one of them was an actual baby. What on earth???
Someone let me babysit their NEWBORN for a wedding when I was like 12?! I also babysat a 6 year old till midnight on Saturdays for a while when I was 12ish. Wtf lol
Fight, flight, or freeze doesn't rely on age. I was in 8th grade when I woke up to find my mother convulsing and unresponsive. I called 911, kicked the dogs outside, and made sure there was a clear path from both entrances to the house back to her bedroom. It wasn't until the EMTs were taking her to the ambulance that it really hit me and I reacted (aside from the panicked 911 call). She had an aneurysm that was leaking, but hadn't burst, so her symptoms were more similar to a stroke.
Hope your mom is doing better these days, amazing work :)
It was like 35 years ago. Yeah, she's still kicking around.
We all hope to be so brave and selfless in the face of danger, but it's impossible to know how we will really behave.
Between this and the rescue crews coming from Mexico, I hope at least a few American minds are shifted. I'm sure it's naive of me but I try to be optimistic.
Me too. I was talking to a friend of mine and I told him about the rescue crews and he said, "After the way we've treated them? Wow."
Sadly, I doubt it
It’s sad they had to figure this out themselves. This is why our country needs to prioritize the well being of our children and make sure they in safe and secure environments with government regulations for safety. They should be held as heroes
Too brown for this administration to say anything. Orange is partially at fault but he’s also white so it’s ok.