Search Turns to Tragedy as Father Discovers Daughter’s Body Amid Texas Flooding

A father, desperately searching for his missing daughter amid the severe flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas, made a heartbreaking discovery instead. Ty Badon was calling out for his daughter as he and his son scoured the area near the water when they found a child’s body.

Recalling the moment, Badon described how he initially thought the figure was a mannequin but realized it was a young boy’s body when he approached. “It was a little boy, about eight or ten years old, and he was dead,” he said, visibly emotional.

Badon explained that he and his son continued their search and hoped to find his daughter and her friends alive. Unfortunately, he fears they may also have been caught in the flood, as he presumes she got washed away. The family’s nearby cabin where the children were staying was reportedly destroyed by the floodwaters.

One of the children had called home to say that the water was rising, and during the call, Badon’s daughter, Joyce Catherine, told her family, “They just got washed away,” before the call abruptly ended. That was the last they heard from her or her friends.

Search and rescue teams have worked tirelessly and recovered 43 victims—28 adults and 15 children—but the number of missing persons remains unknown. Badon, overwhelmed by grief, expressed hope that his daughter and her friends are still alive. He also made an emotional plea to others, asking for their prayers during this devastating time.