In the aftermath of the devastating Texas floods, a heartbreaking tragedy has shaken the small rural community of Ingram — a well-known local rodeo family of five was swept away by surging waters late Sunday evening. Despite desperate rescue attempts by neighbors, none survived.
“We tried to save them,” said one neighbor, his voice breaking. “We were out there with ropes, yelling their names. But the current… it was just too strong.”
The family — identified as the Garzas, longtime participants in youth rodeos and county fairs — had been trying to evacuate their mobile home near the river when a sudden wall of water collapsed the rear wall and dragged them into the floodplain.
Witnesses say several locals waded into the rising waters without hesitation, trying to form a human chain, while others attempted to reach the family using makeshift rafts and trucks. “It was chaos. We could hear the kids screaming,” one woman whispered, holding back tears. “We almost had them… and then they were gone.”
The Garza family, known for their generosity, rodeo talent, and strong faith, had just hosted a fundraiser for flood victims two weeks earlier. Now, the community is rallying in grief around their loss — gathering at the local high school gym to hold vigils, share memories, and pray for strength.
“They weren’t just neighbors,” said the town’s mayor. “They were the kind of people who showed up when nobody else would. And now we carry their memory forward — with love, and with sorrow.”
Volunteers at the scene say the youngest child, just 8 years old, had won a ribbon at the junior rodeo the night before the storm. Her boots were found a mile downstream.
As search teams continue recovering belongings and placing white crosses in the mud, the town of Ingram is united in one refrain:
“We tried. We were there. And we won’t forget them.”
Because even in tragedy, this Texas town is holding tight — not just to each other, but to the memory of a family that lived and loved with heart, rope, and grit.