The Miraculous Story of Survival on the Guadalupe River

The sole confirmed survivor of a family of six is recuperating in a hospital after five of her family members lost their lives in the Guadalupe River.

It was 4 am and Devyn Smith who’s 22-years-old, was in a tent with her family. They were camping near the Guadalupe River in Texas. The rain was pummeling their tent and it was loud. The water came in and started rising quickly. That’s when their tent started floating away. They made a soaking run for their truck as lightening briefly illuminated the way. But the vehicle got swept away. They couldn’t outrun the icy floodwaters.

She told a story of climbing through the sunroof.

Suddenly Devyn was knocked off her feet and was headed downstream fast, trying to keep her head above water. In the dark. In shock. Spinning. Submerged. Gasping. Devyn was tossed around like a rag doll for about 20 miles, kicking away refrigerators, dodging recreational vehicles and careening over 4 dams! Finally, she found one solid tree branch and grabbed it. She climbed higher through rushing water, wind, and fear, screaming for help. But no one heard over the bellowing river water. She kept yelling and held on for what seemed like an eternity.

Eight hours holding on to a tree over a raging river.

Eight hours went by until finally a homeowner named Carl Jeter stepped out on his deck and heard a faint cry for help. He looked around and didn’t see anyone. But the cries continued. That’s when he looked way across the river and up in a Cypress tree he saw her. He moved closer and started calling back to her, “I hear you, I see you!”

He called 911, but didn’t get any response so he started down the street on foot by himself and flagged down a law enforcement person. He said, “Hey, there’s a girl in a tree over here!” They sent a boat but had to figure out a way to get it to river level and the water was still high at that point.

The rescue boat bumped its way through floating logs and debris, but they finally got to her! By now the water had receded 10 or 12 feet. She looked down on that rescue boat much further away than it had been but she had to do it. She did a face-plant into the rescue boat. She was bruised and freezing, but alive.

They carried her up into the house of the man who first heard her cries. After they got her settled, firefighters and paramedics checked her vitals and marveled that she came out of this with only a few bumps and bruises!

A miracle.

It was a miracle

Carl Jeter, the 70-year-old area resident who first helped Smith said it was a miracle. He has been on the river for years and it wasn’t survivable.

She lost her stepfather, mother, cousin or sister, and aunt and uncle.

Her stepfather, Joel Ramos, was confirmed dead Monday. The bodies of Michelle and Cody Crossland – Smith’s aunt and uncle – were found the following day. Her cousin or sister, it’s unclear, and mother remain missing.

Devyn believes God must have something in mind for her. Her relatives said it was God’s hand who saved her.