Kerr County, Texas — John Burgess, a devoted father from Liberty, Texas, is among the victims of the devastating Fourth of July flash flooding that tore through the Texas Hill Country. He died a hero—clinging to his sons in a desperate attempt to protect them as floodwaters surged through the Blue Oak RV Park in Kerr County.
The Burgess family had traveled to the area to pick up their eldest daughter from a nearby summer camp—one that was not affected by the flooding. They decided to stay the holiday weekend at the Blue Oak RV Park in Ingram, a scenic campground near the Guadalupe River. That celebration turned to tragedy when torrential rain caused the river to rise 26 feet in just 45 minutes, leading to catastrophic flash flooding.
According to The New York Post, Lorena Guillen, owner of the Blue Oak RV Park, witnessed John’s final moments. “The man was holding tight to his babies, and he just got swept away,” she said, her voice shaking with emotion. Guillen’s husband was in the water nearby, pleading, “Please throw me your baby!”—but the current proved too strong.
Guillen added that John had been seen clinging to a tree, refusing to let go of his children despite the raging waters. “It was unbearable,” she told local media. “The screaming, the rushing water, the cabins smashing against the trees… it was like something out of a nightmare.”
John Burgess was a graduate of China Spring High School in the Waco area. He and his wife, Julia Anderson Burgess, had built a life in Liberty, raising their children with love and deep faith. According to reports from KWTX and WLUC, the bodies of both John and Julia have been recovered. Their two sons remain missing as search and recovery operations continue along the Guadalupe River.
“The neighbors around here, we’ve all been praying,” said local resident Winnie Taylor. “It’s just a sad, sad situation. I can’t hardly believe it.”
The Blue Oak RV Park, where the Burgess family was staying, was completely destroyed. All 28 RVs parked at the site were washed away. “Everything was gone—every single RV, every vehicle,” Guillen told MSNBC. “The devastation is unimaginable.”
Guillen has since launched a GoFundMe campaign to help rebuild the RV park and assist those affected by the disaster. As of July 8, the fund had raised over $1,200.
This tragedy occurred as part of a historic flooding event across Central Texas. As of Monday, July 7, the death toll in Kerr County alone has reached 84, including 56 adults and 28 children. The total statewide death toll now stands at 104, according to the Associated Press.
John Burgess is remembered by friends and family as a loving father, loyal husband, and courageous man who put his children first until the very end.
“This is the kind of heartbreak you don’t recover from,” said one family friend. “But John died doing what any father would—protecting his family with everything he had.”
Funeral arrangements for John and Julia Burgess will be announced by the family. Vigils have already begun across Kerr County and Liberty, where candles are lit in memory of the couple, and prayers are offered for the safe return of their missing sons.
As Texas mourns, the story of John Burgess stands as a heartbreaking reminder of the human cost of natural disasters—and the extraordinary love of a father in his final moments.
