Father Swept Away In Flood After Refusing To Abandon Babies

Stories of raw human tragedy continue to trickle out of the flood waters still seeping through central Texas, where more than 100 bodies have been recovered from the wreckage left behind from the weekend’s storm.

One father who lost his life spent his final minutes frantically trying to protect his young children as water from the Guadalupe River rose to invade their RV trailer.

John Burgess, 39, was found dead after his RV was swept away. His wife, Julia Anderson Burgess, 38, was also a victim of the floodwaters.

Burgess’s “babies” — 1-year-old James and 5-year-old Jack — are still missing, authorities reported.

The couple’s daughter, Jenna, was staying at a nearby camp that miraculously avoided a serious impact from the storm, though she is now left fearing that her entire family is gone forever.

Lorena Guillen, the owner of the Blue Oak RV Park in Kerr County, told the NY Post that she saw Burgess desperately clinging to his two sons as the waters surged inside their mobile home.

“My husband was in the water trying to ask them, ‘Please throw me your baby!’ The man was holding tight to his babies, and he just got swept away,” Guillen recalled.

Guillen said the Burgess family had arrived at the RV park to celebrate Independence Day weekend, adding that the kids appeared “so excited” to be there.

Images of that night still haunt Guillen, who said she was suddenly awakened by the noise of search and rescue teams scouring the RV park for signs of life.

“My husband and I ran down. By then, the first level of the RVs was already washing away. The river went up about 10 feet at that time,” the park owner said.

“A family of five was stranded because they were the ones closest to the river. Their RV was floating away. It was pitch black, it was so dark.”

She said that eight bodies have been recovered among those listed as guests at the park while another 40 are still unaccounted for.

The number of victims rose dramatically overnight as more bodies were recovered in the aftermath of the storm. Still, in the midst of incalculable tragedy there is hope, as in the story of a Coast Guardsman who is credited with saving 165 survivors.

But for those dozens of families who lost love ones confirmed dead or still missing, the pain of their absences will never heal.

Family and friends of the Burgesses reacted on social media, praying for the safe return of James and Jack.

“These past few days have been devastating for my family as we continue to mourn the loss of John Burgess, and have been praying for Julia Anderson Burgess and their two sweet boys,” said Michael Schwab, a family member.

“We were deeply saddened to learn this morning that my cousin Julia Anderson Burgess’s body has now been found. We continue to pray for their two boys who are still missing at this time.”

Julia Burgess was a teacher at Liberty Elementary in Liberty, Texas, a tiny town outside Houston.

“Our hearts are with the Burgess family — please continue to pray,” reads a post from the town’s social media account, the Daily Mail reports.

Mark Linabury, the president and CEO of East Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, shared a photo of the ribbon-cutting ceremony he attended with Burgess as he opened his new financial services business.

“We just saw him at our luncheon on Wednesday before the tragic event. As I search through photos, I can’t help but notice your amazing smile that could light up any room, and that of your beautiful family,” he said.