Camp counsellors wrote girls' names on their bodies before evacuating devastating floods that killed at least 82

Two of the counsellors from Camp Mystic have harrowingly revealed that amid the Texas flash floods, they were instructed to write their names on their own bodies, and do the same for the young girls.

This was in case they were swept away in the floodwaters, which rose 26 feet (eight metres) in just 45 minutes in the early hours of Friday (4 July), causing destruction in Kerr County and other local areas near the Guadalupe river.

Teenagers Silvana Garza and Maria Paula recalled the terrifying moment in a Spanish language interview with Mexican news outlet NMas, as reported by the New York Post.

Paula said: “Us as counsellors, we started to write our names on our skin, anywhere that was visible."

She added: “We did the same for the girls, wrote their names anywhere that was easy to see.”

The pair explained how they were told to put on a ‘happy face’ and try to remain calm as they prepared to evacuate the children from the camp.

Two Camp Mystic counsellors have recalled the moment they were required to evacuate (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)

It came after counsellors from a neighbouring private camp had run over to warn them of what was coming.

“At the time, we started to prepare our girls because we thought we were also going to be evacuated,” Garza said.

Speaking of the horror, she continued: “We told them to pack a bag, to pack their favourite stuffed animal. We didn’t know if we were going to be evacuated or not. We were just waiting.”

The camp has since confirmed the tragic news that 27 campers and counsellors died in the floods, among the overall death toll of at least 82.

A statement uploaded to their website on Monday (7 July) read: "Camp Mystic is grieving the loss of 27 campers and counsellors following the catastrophic flooding on the Guadalupe river.

"Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly."

It confirmed that the camp have been in communication with local and state authorities who are ‘tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search’ for the missing girls.

They described how they had to put on a 'happy face' for the younger girls who were scared (RONALDO SCHEMIDT/ Getty Images)

The statement concluded: "We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from community, first responders, and officials at every level.

"We ask for your continued prayers, respect and privacy for each of our families affected. May the Lord continue to wrap His presence around all of us."

Meanwhile, the search is thought to be ongoing for the 10 children and one camp counsellor who are yet to be found.

At a press conference on Saturday, Nim Kidd, chief of Texas Department of Emergency Management, urged that first responders ‘will not stop’ until they ‘find everyone who is missing’.

The nightmare is continuing as fresh flood warnings have been issued in the region over the next 24-48 hours with alerts in place until at least Monday evening.

Officials have also said that the death toll is expected to rise.

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