Young Sisters Died while Holding Hands and had Rosaries with Them during Texas Floods - RIP Blair and Brooke Harber

The flash flooding on the Guadalupe River in Central Texas has killed at least 104 people, including 28 children, with dozens still missing. Floods rushed through central Texas through the July 4 weekend. Pope Leo XIV, speaking in English, called all to pray for the victims at the Sunday San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller visited the area in solidarity and presided at Mass for the Victims.

Blair Harber, 13, and her sister Brooke Harber, 11, have died after going missing during the catastrophic flooding in Kerr County, Texas, their father confirmed to CNN.
Blair and Brooke, pictured left to right, were not attending Camp Mystic at the time of their disappearance.

“Blair was a gifted student and had a generous kind heart,” RJ Harber told CNN. “Brooke was like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment.”They were found in Kerrville, 15 miles from their cabin community, holding hands, according to reports.

Their grandparents, Charlene and Mike Harber, have still to be found.

Saint Rita's school where they attended wrote: Blair and Brooke were young women of deep faith, and religion was one of their favorite subjects. On the night they died, they went to the loft of their cabin with their rosaries. When Blair and Brooke were found the next day, fifteen miles downriver, they were together. Even in their last moments, they held tightly to each other, a powerful symbol of their lasting bond and their trust in God.

Their GoFundMe page has raised nearly $300,000.

In a message shared by their aunt, Jennifer, on a GoFundMe page started for the Harber family, it was revealed that the girls’ parents, were residing five cabins away from their children, and woke up around 3:30 a.m. on Friday to the storm and needed to break a window in their cabin to escape. The girls’ father, RJ, had tried to kayak to the girls’ cabin, but the water was too high and he was forced to turn around.

The family noted that they were receiving text messages from the girls sent as their cabin filled with water.

“Brooke texted my brother [her father], her grandmother and grandfather on Annie’s side, saying ‘I love you’ at 3:30 a.m.,” the girls’ aunt wrote. “Blair and I had a conversation about God and heaven two weeks earlier. They had their rosaries with them.”

The two girls will have a funeral at St. Rita’s at a date that will be set after their grandparents have also been found, according to the aunt’s page.


MESSAGE on the Aunt's Page:
The Following message is from Jennifer:

My brother and his wife Annie identified the bodies of my nieces Blair age 13 and Brooke age 11 yesterday afternoon about 12 hours after the flood that started the morning of July 4th at 3:30am. My parents Mike and Charlene Harber have not been found as of now. Prayers are needed so we can bring them home.

My brother R.J. and Annie made it back to Dallas yesterday evening.


The storm woke them up at 3:30am and they wanted R.J. to walk five houses down towards the river in their gated community of Casa Bonita in Hunt, TX. to check on the girls who they had tucked in bed that night at 11pm. My parents were downstairs in the guest bedroom and my nieces were upstairs in the loft. My mom, dad and nieces stayed at that house because the house they owned was a one bedroom and the neighbors were kind enough to let them stay there since they were out of town. To my brothers surprise when he stepped out of bed their house had already started to flood. They said you couldn’t hear it at all because the rain was so loud. If they had not woken up to check on the girls they would have drowned too. It’s a miracle they got out they had to break a window and get out immediately. At that point the water was rising one foot per minute. The waters were too high to get to our family so he went to other neighbors to borrow a kayak. He woke two neighbors up for help saved their lives and borrowed a kayak but the water had risen too high to reach the neighbors house that my parents and nieces and their 2 dogs were at. He attempted by kayak and the house was only 5 houses down closest to the river but the waters were too rough. He knew he would be swept away there were white caps on the waves so kayaked back to where the other 6 survivors were. Rain pouring, loud thunder and lightning they had nightgowns on. Transmitters were going off everywhere. It was pitch dark. By the time they got out the water was up to Annie’s chin. They said they were surprised they didn’t have hypothermia it was freezing waters. RJ, Annie and the other 5 they woke somehow made it to a house on the other side of the flooded highway and strangers let all 7 in. Somehow their lab made it out of the window and I don’t know how but found them across the flooded highway up the hill at that house. Their other dog did not make it. Shortly after they crossed the highway the houses in their gated community were swept away as were cars. Trees uprooted. Very shortly after they crossed the flooded highway houses started falling apart and floating away and I believe only 4 or 6 are left standing out of 20 houses in that community.
Brooke texted my brother, her Grandmother and Grandfather on Annie’s side saying I love you at 3:30am. My nieces were upstairs in the loft. They were believers and one of their favorite classes was religion. Blair and I had a conversation about God and heaven two weeks earlier. They had their rosaries with them. Their bodies were found yesterday afternoon 15 miles away in Kerrville. When they were found their hands were locked together.
What RJ and Annie went through that morning was a nightmare. They were rescued that afternoon but were stuck in Hunt the Coast Guard couldn’t even get to them. Annie was rescued by helicopter and I think RJ attempted another way earlier to get help.
I’m a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines and my amazing company is going to fly my nieces home from San Antonio after their autopsy and when they recover my parents their bodies too.
Brook and Blair will have a joint funeral at St. Rita. To be determined. We haven’t even had time to figure out my parents. We need find them first.
We are beyond devastated and so heartbroken. Prayers are much appreciated and what we needed at this time.
Please help us find my parents so we can have closure and bring them home.
Thank you.
Jennifer Harber

https://www.strita.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=125657&type=d&pREC_ID=2680788