KERRVILLE, TEXAS — In the early hours of July 4, 2025, a frantic phone call lit up a family member’s screen in the stillness of the night. On the other end was Jeff Ramsey, his voice tense, urgent, and filled with love. He and his wife, Tanya Ramsey, were camping near the Guadalupe River outside Kerrville, part of the sweeping Hill Country of Central Texas.
The floodwaters were rising—fast. The rain hadn’t stopped. Their tent, their belongings, their footing—everything was in danger.
In what would become his last call, Jeff made a decision: not to plead for help, but to warn.
“Get out. Get everyone out,” he said. “The river’s coming.”
He didn’t know if the call would save lives. He just knew he had to try.
Moments later, the river claimed their campsite. Jeff was found dead hours later after the floodwaters receded. Tanya remains missing. Her survival is uncertain, but hope continues to flicker.
In their final message, the couple asked one simple thing of their family:
“Tell our kids we love them.”
A Couple of Courage and Devotion
Jeff and Tanya Ramsey were more than just husband and wife. They were partners in survival, parents, and fighters. Both had faced adversity—none more defining than Tanya’s recent battle with cancer, which she had beaten after a grueling period of treatment. The victory had given the couple a renewed sense of gratitude for each day.
Camping trips, especially in Texas Hill Country, were part of that newfound appreciation. They didn’t chase luxury or extravagance. They sought peace—time together, silence broken only by wind, birdsong, and water.
Friends describe the Ramseys as quiet but loyal. Jeff worked hard—he was described as the “type of guy who’d help you move on a weekend without you even asking twice.” Tanya was resilient, warm, and sharp. The couple lived in Lewisville, north of Dallas, where they raised their two children in a neighborhood filled with familiar routines and shared memories.
For them, this trip was a celebration: of Tanya’s health, of their love, of freedom. They had escaped cancer. They did not expect nature to turn against them.
A Night of Terror in the Texas Hill Country
The storm system that rolled across Kerr County on the night of July 3 into July 4 was one of historic proportions. Over 15 inches of rain fell in mere hours, catching even seasoned residents by surprise. The Guadalupe River, already swollen from previous rainfall, rose faster than local emergency infrastructure could track.
Campers at multiple locations—including Camp Mystic and private sites along the river—were caught off guard. Many were asleep when the water arrived. For some, it was already too late to evacuate by the time the noise of the current woke them.
For Jeff and Tanya, their riverside camp became a trap.
They made the only call they could: to their family, with just enough time to issue a warning. The full contents of the call have not been made public, but loved ones confirm that Jeff made it clear the situation was dire.
He begged them to leave their own properties, knowing the flood would not stop with him.
That call saved lives. Others packed up and evacuated before the flood reached them. Jeff had sacrificed his last moments not to save himself—but to protect others.
“Tell Our Kids We Love Them”
The weight of that final message—so simple, so heartbreaking—has reverberated across the Ramsey family and the community.
The couple’s two children, now left without either parent physically present, are being cared for by extended family in Lewisville. They are safe, but their world has changed.
Family members have begun planning memorial services, even as Tanya’s fate remains unknown. Search crews, aided by helicopters and game wardens, continue scouring the banks and downstream sections of the Guadalupe River.
Each day without confirmation brings fresh pain—but also determination. Tanya had survived cancer, they say. She fought harder than most ever will. If anyone can survive being swept into a river, it’s her.
The Toll of the Flood: Kerr County Reels
The Ramsey tragedy is one among dozens of flood-related deaths and disappearances across Kerr County and surrounding areas. Governor Greg Abbott has declared a state of disaster for multiple counties, calling the floods a “mass casualty event.” More than 24 deaths have been confirmed as of Friday night. Over 20 people remain unaccounted for, many of them young girls from nearby summer camps.
Jeff’s body was recovered on the morning of July 4, among the first found that day.
His identity was confirmed by officials. His death is being remembered not simply as another statistic, but as an act of heroism.
Emergency responders describe scenes of devastation—washed-out roads, upended vehicles, cabins collapsed like paper in the river’s grip. Infrastructure failed. Cell service was down in many places. Families lost contact for hours, and in many cases, never regained it.
A Legacy of Love and Bravery
What remains of Jeff Ramsey’s legacy cannot be measured in possessions or plaques. It lives in his children, in the family members who survived because he called, and in the stories now being told about his last moments.
Neighbors in Lewisville have begun organizing memorial fundraisers. Friends have gathered for prayer vigils. And through it all, one theme has emerged over and over again: Jeff Ramsey died trying to save others.
He did what he always did—put his family first.
Tanya, too, is being celebrated for her strength. Though still missing, her battle with cancer and her unwavering support for Jeff are the stuff of admiration. Family members recall how she continued parenting through treatment, and how she never complained even when her body gave out.
Their relationship was forged through fire—now, it may be remembered through flood.
The Search Continues for Tanya
Local search crews have confirmed that search-and-rescue operations remain active, with special focus on downstream sections of the Guadalupe River. The terrain is rugged and remote in many places, complicating recovery.
As of Saturday night, Tanya has not been found. She is one of the last remaining missing adults from the July 4 flooding event. Most others have either been confirmed deceased or reunited with their families.
For the Ramsey family, this in-between space is the hardest part. They mourn Jeff, even as they hope for Tanya.
“Hope is hard,” one cousin posted on social media. “But Tanya’s tougher.”
Questions That Remain
The tragedy of the Ramseys, like so many others this week, also exposes systemic vulnerabilities:
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Why were campers not warned earlier?
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Could more have been done to prepare low-lying areas along the Guadalupe River?
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Were evacuation protocols sufficient?
Officials have promised a full after-action review. But families like the Ramseys are left with more immediate concerns—grief, funerals, and raising children who now have to grow up without the two people who loved them most.
A Life Cut Short, A Message That Endures
Jeff and Tanya Ramsey were not celebrities. They had no spotlight, no stage. They were everyday Texans—working, parenting, surviving.
And yet, in their final moments, they became something extraordinary.
Jeff’s warning saved lives. Their message of love to their children became an anthem of parental devotion in the face of mortal danger.
They leave behind two children, a grieving family, a shattered but proud community, and a legacy that will never wash away.
Conclusion: The River Took Them, But Love Remains
As the Guadalupe River returns to its banks, and as rescue operations begin to transition to recovery, the story of Jeff and Tanya Ramsey will echo long beyond the flood.
They were a couple who had already fought battles and won. They had faced cancer and fear, and now—flood and finality.
But in their last act, they chose love.
They chose protection.
They chose to leave behind a message that will endure even as the water recedes.
“Tell our kids we love them.”
They did.
And now we will.