NEED TO KNOW
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Katherine Ferruzzo, a Camp Mystic counselor, was found dead on Friday, July 11, her family confirmed in a statement
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The 19-year-old was one of at least 27 campers and counselors killed in the Texas floods over the Fourth of July weekend
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“We are incredibly grateful to all the search and rescue professionals and volunteers,” Ferruzzo’s family said in a statement, per NBC 5
The remains of a Camp Mystic counselor who died during the Texas floods has been found.
Katherine Ferruzzo’s family confirmed that her remains were found on Friday, July 11, in a statement obtained by NBC 5.
“We are incredibly grateful to all the search and rescue professionals and volunteers who have remained steadfast in their efforts to locate the victims of this tragedy. We would especially like to thank the Texas Rangers,” the family said, per the outlet.
Officials previously announced that at least 27 campers and counselors died at the Christian summer camp. Its location in Kerr County was the hardest-hit region during the July 4 floods.
Ferruzzo family statement revealed that she had recently graduated from high school and was planning to attend the University of Texas in Austin to study education. The late counselor hoped to become a special education teacher.
She was 19 years old and had a strong philanthropic presence in Houston, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The Ferruzzo family will be launching a charitable foundation in her memory.
“The Katherine Ferruzzo Legacy Foundation is being established to honor Katherine and her compassion for those with special needs and learning differences. We will share a link with donation details in the coming days,” the family said in the statement, per NBC 5.
“We would like to thank the Houston and Camp Mystic communities for their unwavering support and for allowing us to mourn this tragedy in private,” the statement continued. “We are heartbroken for the other families and pray for all who have been affected. “
The destructive and deadly floodwaters in Texas was spurred by nearly unprecedented rainfall that swelled the Guadalupe River.
The death toll has risen steadily since the disaster and now sits at at least 129, with over a hundred people still missing, according to USA Today.
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The grandmother of 9-year-old camper Jane Hunt recently remembered her granddaughter in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE. Margaret Hunt described Jane as a “brilliant” and “precocious” child who “loved life” and “loved everybody.”
She also told PEOPLE her granddaughter was a big theater fan, and a necklace she gifted the child following a performance helped the family identify Jane after her death.
“She was in a play in May, and that’s when I gave her the little Janie necklace that she had on when they found the body,” Margaret said. “That’s how they knew it was Janie. She had on a necklace that, in beads, spelled out [her name].”
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The post Missing Camp Mystic Counselor Katherine Ferruzzo’s Remains Found 7 Days After Texas Floods appeared first on People.
