Two young sisters swept away in the catastrophic Texas Hill Country floods were found 15 miles from where they vanished — their hands locked tightly together, a final gesture of love in the face of tragedy.
Blair and Brooke Harber, just 13 and 11 years old, died during a family getaway in Casa Bonita, a gated community in Hunt, Texas, when flash floods tore through the area in the early hours of Friday morning.
The violent storm jolted their father, RJ Harber, awake around 3:30 a.m., his sister Jennifer told KLOU. The rain was so intense he could barely hear the floodwaters bursting through the cabin door. Around that same time, Brooke — aware of the danger — sent a chilling final message to her father and grandparents: “I love you.”
RJ and his wife, Annie, smashed a window in a frantic attempt to reach their daughters, who had been staying in a nearby cabin with their grandparents. The rushing waters, however, were already too fierce. Desperate, they made their way to a neighbor’s house to borrow a kayak, hoping to paddle through the chaos — but the currents were too violent. Ultimately, the couple and five others were rescued.
Twelve agonizing hours later, Blair and Brooke were found — lifeless, 15 miles downstream, still holding each other’s hands.
“They were found locked together,” Jennifer said through tears.
The sisters had brought their rosary beads on the trip and were known for their deep faith. Both attended St. Rita’s Catholic School in Dallas, where their mother, Annie, works as an instructional specialist.
“Blair was a gifted student with a generous, kind heart,” RJ said. “Brooke was like a light — she made everyone laugh, and people were drawn to her joy.”
Their maternal grandparents, Mike and Charlene Harber, who had been staying with the girls in a separate cabin, remain missing. The family had split up between two homes — the girls and grandparents staying in a larger cabin offered by neighbors who were out of town, while RJ and Annie remained nearby.
At least 80 lives have been lost in the floods so far, with over 40 people still missing. As Texas braces for more rainfall, evacuation orders remain in effect across the devastated Hill Country region.