Texas Floods Kill 120 Including Teen Saving Family From Submerged Van

Malaya Hammond, a 17-year-old from Marble Falls, Texas, heroically saved her entire family after their van drove off the washed-out Cow Creek Bridge and plunged into raging floodwaters during a severe storm. Despite managing to open a car door and help her parents and siblings escape the submerged van, Malaya was swept away by the strong current and tragically died after a three-day search. The family had been en route to Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp severely affected by the floods, which have claimed at least 120 lives and left more than 170 missing in Texas. Close family friends and school officials remembered Malaya as a compassionate, talented, and inspiring eldest sibling who set a strong example for her younger brothers. The family has found some closure after recovering her body and witnessed a double rainbow, which they took as a sign of her peaceful passing. A fundraising campaign has been launched to support the Hammond family with funeral and related expenses amid the widespread devastation caused by the floods.