A 22-year-old woman survived a terrifying 20-mile journey down the raging Guadalupe River after flash floods swept her family away from their campsite.
When we hear about tragic stories like the recent Texas floods, it breaks our hearts. But there is still some good news that give us comfort and hope.
We hear about people helping each other, miraculous survivals and most importantly God’s hand at work. This is one of those incredible stories.
Man Hears Cries for Help
Carl Jeter was on his deck Friday morning when he heard screams coming from the river. At first, he thought someone was floating downstream. Then he spotted her.
A young woman named Devyn was holding onto a tree in the rushing water. “There’s no other way to explain it,” Carl said about what happened next.
The Nightmare Begins
Devyn’s nightmare started around 4 in the morning. The water at their campsite in Ingram began rising fast. Her family tried to escape in their car, but the flood overtook them.
They climbed out through the sunroof and grabbed onto a tree. Her mom and dad held onto her as the water kept coming.
“The water kept overtaking them and eventually they got swept away,” Josh Jeter said. Josh is Carl’s son, and he heard the whole story from Devyn later.
Family Gets Separated
The rushing water separated the family right away. Devyn lost her father first. She and her mother held onto each other as the river carried them downstream.
“She said they were screaming back and forth, coming down the river for a period of time,” Josh explained. “Then she lost her mom.”
Devyn Fights to Survive
For hours, Devyn fought to stay alive. She grabbed onto different trees, but the water knocked them down. She passed under bridges and saw people, but nobody heard her screams for help.
She traveled almost 20 miles before she reached the Jeter family’s property.
Help Arrives
Carl called 911 right away. He and his family used a bullhorn to talk to Devyn while they waited for help.
“We had a little bullhorn we were hollering back and forth at her to let her know ‘Hey we’re just – hang on, hang on, hang on!’ because she was desperate. I mean desperate.”
The rescue took time. Carl even drove down the road to get a state trooper to help. Swift water rescue teams finally arrived with boats.
By then, the water had dropped about 10 feet. Getting Devyn into the boat was not easy. “Essentially she did a face plant into the boat,” Josh said.
The Jeter Family Opens Their Home
The Jeter family brought Devyn into their home. They gave her a shower, clean clothes, and food.
“We clothed her because it had stripped all of her clothing off and we gave her something to drink, a nap and then we had a long talk with her,” Carl said.
Devyn was injured and exhausted. She had cuts and bruises all over her body. She even had a deep cut on her head that she didn’t know about until she washed her hair.
“She was just in so much shock that she didn’t have a clue what was going on,” Josh said.
As we write this story, the Texas floods have claimed at least 79 people, including 28 children.
More than 40 people are still missing, including Devyn’s parents, aunt, uncle, and cousin from the Midland area.
Stories like this remind us that God watches over us even when everything seems hopeless. He put the right people in the right place at the right time to save Devyn’s life.
Please keep praying for all the families still searching for their loved ones and for everyone affected by these terrible floods.
WATCH: Man Saves Woman After Treading Floodwaters for More Than 20 Miles
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WATCH: Woman Survives by Holding Onto Trees After Being Swept 20 Miles by Flood
