Byline: Bastrop County, Texas — July 2025
Newly obtained uncut video footage from Camp Wrenwood reveals a chilling moment just 17 minutes before disaster struck: the camp’s director assuring staff that “the kids will be fine,” unaware that a deadly wall of floodwater was already approaching.
The footage — taken from the camp’s internal security system — now serves as a painful timestamp in the unfolding tragedy of 27 missing girls, whose final screams were heard but not saved.
🎥 “They’ll Be Fine — It’s Just Passing Rain”
The video, timestamped 6:08 p.m., shows Camp Director Susan Halley, standing under the main pavilion speaking to two staff members. Rain can be seen falling heavily in the background, but the creek — visible in a corner frame — appears calm.
“I’m watching the radar. We’ll keep them inside for dinner. They’ll be fine — it’s just passing rain,” Halley says confidently.
💧 What Happened 17 Minutes Later
At 6:25 p.m., the camera's angle — now facing the rear cabins — captures chaos. The rain intensifies, and a roaring sound begins. Staff can be seen sprinting toward the lower bunkhouses, shouting instructions.
But the most devastating moment comes from Camera 7, mounted near the back trail. A group of girls is seen climbing onto benches, screaming, “Help us! Please! We’re here!” before the screen is washed in rushing brown water and goes black.
“That footage is the hardest thing I’ve ever seen in my 22 years of rescue work,” said FEMA officer Alan Travis.
🕳️ System Failure and Delayed Warnings
Officials now confirm the flash flood warning, issued by the National Weather Service at 6:09 p.m., was not received by the camp’s emergency alert system until 6:27 p.m., due to a router outage and backup radio malfunction.
“By the time the alert was heard clearly, the water was already at the cabins,” said Sheriff Wayne Pollard.
The delay in transmission may have cost the window of evacuation — and is now part of a formal investigation into potential negligence.
😭 Parents React to Footage
Parents of the missing girls were shown the uncut footage in private earlier this morning.
“She screamed for help. She was still alive,” said one father. “That’s what’s killing me. They weren’t gone in their sleep. They knew. They fought.”
Several parents left the room visibly shaken. Crisis counselors remain on standby at the Bastrop County Civic Hall, where many families have been staying since the search began.
📢 Nation in Mourning
The footage has not yet been made public, but excerpts are being reviewed by legal teams and major news outlets. Advocates for flood safety and emergency preparedness have already launched a petition for mandatory storm bunker access in all U.S. youth camps, citing Wrenwood as the catalyst.
🔚 Final Word
A confident sentence.
A ticking clock.
And 27 voices fading into the flood.
As investigations begin and America mourns, the video from Camp Wrenwood stands as a stark reminder: minutes matter. Warnings must work. And no child should ever go unheard again.