What was meant to be a joyful Fourth of July weekend turned into a scene of heartbreak and horror at Blue Oak RV Park in Kerrville, Texas. Within the span of less than an hour, the rising Guadalupe River transformed a peaceful celebration into a deadly disaster — one that longtime park owner Bob Canales will never forget.
As heavy rains poured down, Bob stood at the edge of the swelling river, powerless, watching as the floodwaters tore through the park he and his wife, Lorena Guillen, have run for years. “Throw me the baby!” he shouted, desperation cracking his voice as he reached toward a family trapped in the surging current.
But the river moved too fast.
Moments later, a family of four — including John Burgess, younger brother of country music star Pat Green — was swept away. Bob watched helplessly as John, his wife Julia, and their two young sons were lost to the torrent. Only their dog survived.
Earlier that morning, Bob and Lorena noticed the river rising rapidly and rushed to warn campers. Chaos broke out as floodwaters surged through the RV park, tearing away trailers, cabins, and vehicles. In the midst of it all, Bob tried to reach the Burgess family, who were stranded with their children and pet. His cries for them to toss the kids to safety were met only with the deafening roar of water.
John and Julia’s bodies were later recovered downstream. Their sons remain missing.
“You could hear the transformers exploding,” Bob recalled. “Cabins were crashing into each other like dominoes. People got trapped in their cars… and then they were just gone.”
The devastation didn’t stop at the river’s edge. Howdy’s Bar and Chill — the couple’s restaurant near the RV park — became a grim refuge. Among those who lost their lives was 27-year-old Julian Ryan, a beloved kitchen worker found inside the restaurant after the floodwaters receded.
The death toll across Texas has now climbed to 132, with many more still unaccounted for. For Bob, the weight of the moment — and the helplessness that came with it — is something he carries heavily.
“There was just nothing you could do,” he said, still shaken.
Yet amid the tragedy, Bob and Lorena chose resilience. Just days after the flood, they reopened Howdy’s — not just to serve food, but to serve the community. The restaurant has become a place of healing: a hub for first responders, a shelter for the displaced, and a gathering space for grieving families.
“It’s been important for people to see that we’re still here,” Bob said. “That we’re going to get through this — together.”
Still, the memory of that moment — of the Burgess family swept away in seconds — lingers like the river’s stain on the land. For Bob, it’s a moment frozen in time.
“Within 45 minutes,” he said quietly, “they were wiped off the planet.”
What remains now is the wreckage, the rebuilding, and the image of a man in the rain — reaching, pleading, and holding on to a moment that slipped away.
