BREAKING: The Only Girl Wearing a Red Scarf in the Texas Missing Girls Case Has Been Found — What Was Hidden in Her Pocket Made Rescuers Go Silent

KERRVILLE, Texas — July 25, 2025 — In a dramatic turn of events in the ongoing search for the missing girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian all-girls summer camp devastated by catastrophic flash floods on July 4, one of the missing campers, identified as 10-year-old Emily Harper, was found alive late Thursday evening. Emily, described by camp counselors as the only girl wearing a distinctive red scarf on the night of the flood, was discovered clinging to a tree branch near the Guadalupe River, roughly five miles downstream from the camp. But it was the contents of her pocket—a small, waterlogged notebook—that left rescuers speechless and raised new questions about the tragedy that has gripped Texas.

The floods, which killed at least 104 people, including 28 children in Kerr County alone, swept through Camp Mystic with little warning, as the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes. Emily was one of the 23 to 27 girls initially reported missing from the camp, where 750 campers were staying. The search, now in its third week, has involved over 1,000 local, state, and federal personnel, alongside volunteers, combing the riverbanks and debris-strewn landscape. Emily’s discovery marks a rare moment of hope in a recovery effort that has increasingly shifted to identifying remains rather than finding survivors.

Rescuers from the Texas National Guard spotted Emily at dusk, her red scarf—still knotted around her neck—catching their attention against the muddy riverbank. “She was shivering, dehydrated, but alive,” said Major Sarah Thompson, who led the helicopter team that airlifted her to safety. “We couldn’t believe it. After so many days, finding her felt like a miracle.” Emily was immediately taken to a Kerrville hospital, where she is being treated for hypothermia and minor injuries. Her family, who had been holding vigil at a local church, was reunited with her shortly after midnight.

The contents of Emily’s pocket, however, have shifted the narrative from celebration to mystery. Tucked inside her jacket was a small notebook, its pages swollen with river water but still legible. The first page bore a hastily scrawled message: “We tried to get to the hill. The water was too fast. I saw the light.” The rest of the notebook contained a series of cryptic drawings—stick figures holding hands, a crude sketch of a cabin, and what appeared to be a map with an “X” marked near a bend in the river. The final entry, written in a child’s shaky handwriting, read, “Tell them about the voice.”

Rescuers, hardened by weeks of grim discoveries, were visibly shaken. “We’ve seen a lot out here, but that notebook… it’s haunting,” said volunteer rescuer James Carter. “What did she see? What voice? It’s like she was trying to tell us something, but we don’t know what.” The notebook has been handed over to the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, which is analyzing it for clues about the other missing girls. Sheriff Larry Leitha declined to speculate but confirmed that the notebook is being treated as evidence in the ongoing investigation.

Emily’s condition has limited her ability to provide immediate answers. Doctors report that she is coherent but traumatized, repeatedly whispering, “The light kept us safe.” Her parents, who spoke briefly to the press, expressed gratitude but requested privacy. “We’re just so thankful to have our daughter back,” said her mother, Laura Harper. “We’re praying for the other families still waiting.”

The discovery has reignited questions about the events at Camp Mystic on July 4. Reports have surfaced that the camp’s owner, Dick Eastland, who died heroically trying to save campers, received a flood warning at 1:14 a.m. but delayed evacuation for over an hour. The camp’s reliance on an outdated flood warning system, coupled with its location in a known flood-prone area, has drawn scrutiny. Some parents have criticized the camp’s decision to house younger campers in cabins closest to the river, where floodwaters reached the tops of buildings.

The notebook’s contents have also sparked speculation among locals. Some believe Emily’s reference to “the light” and “the voice” could point to a spiritual experience, fitting the camp’s Christian ethos. Others wonder if the drawings indicate a specific location where other survivors might be found. The marked “X” on the map has prompted authorities to redirect search efforts to a remote stretch of the river near Center Point, where debris from the camp has been found.

As the community grapples with this latest development, the search continues for the remaining missing girls. Governor Greg Abbott, who has vowed to find every missing person, announced additional resources for the effort, including advanced sonar equipment to scan the riverbed. “Emily’s survival gives us hope,” he said at a press conference. “We will not stop until every family has answers.”

The red scarf, now a symbol of resilience, has become a focal point for the community. At a candlelight vigil held Thursday night at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Dallas, where many Camp Mystic families attend, parishioners tied red ribbons to trees in Emily’s honor. “She’s our miracle,” said Pastor Christopher Girata. “But we still pray for those who are lost.”

The notebook’s cryptic messages have yet to be fully deciphered, but they have given investigators a new lead in a case that has broken hearts across Texas. As the search presses on, Emily’s survival—and the mystery in her pocket—reminds the nation of both the fragility and the strength of hope in the face of unimaginable tragedy.