The miraculous story of 2 girls found, turns out to be not so miraculous

Editor’s Note: Like everyone, we wanted this story to be true, but it’s a classic tale of misinformation that consumes all of us during a natural disaster. Unfortunately, the story is not true and we are retracting it. — Louis Amestoy, editor of The Kerr County Lead

False reports of two girls being rescued alive from a tree near Center Point spread rapidly Sunday among residents desperate for good news about missing children from the catastrophic Kerr County flooding, prompting officials to caution against unverified information.

The Kerr County Lead was among the first news outlets to report the rescue after receiving numerous messages about the girls, along with social media reports from volunteers exclaiming the rescue. Sheriff Larry Leitha later said the reports were “100% inaccurate.”

The false reports highlight the challenges of information flow during major disasters, when emotions run high and communities desperately seek positive developments amid tragedy. Social media and word-of-mouth can amplify unverified claims, creating false hope for families already enduring unimaginable stress.

Eleven Camp Mystic campers and one counselor remain missing from Friday’s flooding, which has killed 59 people across Kerr County. Search operations continue with more than 400 first responders from over 20 agencies working along the Guadalupe River corridor.

The misinformation emerged as rescue teams conduct systematic searches along a 30-mile stretch of the disaster zone, where they have divided operations into grids to ensure thorough coverage.

Officials have established official communication channels to provide verified information, including daily press conferences at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Families seeking information about missing loved ones are directed to call 830-258-1111.

The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office and City of Kerrville maintain official Facebook pages for updates, and officials urged residents to rely on these verified sources rather than unconfirmed social media posts or rumors.