Byline: Bastrop County, Texas — July 2025
For days, the nation has waited for answers. Today, authorities released the final CCTV footage capturing the last known moments of the 27 missing girls from Camp Wrenwood — and what they shouted together just seconds before the floodwaters hit has left America devastated.
The grainy footage, taken from a motion-triggered trail camera mounted near a hiking trail, shows the girls — soaked, muddy, but huddled closely — trying to navigate toward higher ground.
As a distant roar of water builds, one of the girls turns to the others, lifts her hand, and shouts a phrase that echoes faintly but unmistakably:
“Stay together — we’re gonna make it!”
The rest join in.
“We’re gonna make it! We’re gonna make it!”
Moments later, the screen goes dark.
📹 Where the Footage Came From
The video was captured by a wildlife monitoring camera installed by Texas Parks & Wildlife. It had not been retrieved since spring. Rangers only discovered its contents after checking memory cards from surrounding forest cameras during an extended search grid review.
“We weren’t even looking for this,” said Officer Jenna Ruiz. “We thought the camera was down. But what it recorded… none of us were ready.”
😢 Parents Shown Footage First
Before the public release, officials privately showed the footage to the families of the missing girls. Several had to be escorted out of the briefing room.
“They were together. They held hands. My daughter was there,” said one grieving father. “She wasn’t afraid. She was leading.”
Counselors and clergy remain on-site at the Bastrop County operations center as the video circulates across the nation.
🚨 National Response: “The Bravest Girls in America”
Within minutes of the video’s release, tributes began flooding social media. The phrase “We’re gonna make it” is now trending under the hashtags #Texas27, #BraveTogether, and #CampWrenwoodAngels.
Celebrities, news anchors, and even politicians have shared the video or quoted the girls’ final chant, calling them “the bravest children America has ever known.”
🧭 Investigation Update
The footage confirms that the girls were still above ground and mobile minutes after the initial flash flood alert, contradicting earlier theories that they were swept away in their sleep.
Police and FEMA have now focused efforts toward a lower ridge basin near the camera’s location, deploying thermal drones and search dogs.
“This video gave us a timestamp, a heading, and most importantly — a last known act of unity,” said FEMA search lead Lt. Darren Hobbs.
🎖️ Planned Memorial
A permanent memorial is now being planned near Camp Wrenwood. It will feature 27 engraved stones and a sound installation playing the girls’ final chant on loop every July 10.
🔚 Final Word
They held hands.
They shouted hope.
And they faced the storm — together.
What they said may have been the last thing they ever said — but it is now a rallying cry for a nation that refuses to forget them.