Camp Mystic counselor honored at State Fair of Texas for actions in deadly flooding

FAIR PARK, Texas - As the State Fair of Texas begins in Fair Park, organizers are pausing to remember those lost in the July 4th flooding.                 

Friday night, the fair honored a 19-year-old counselor from Camp Mystic during opening ceremonies.

Camp Mystic counselor honored at State Fair

More than 2 million people are expected at the State Fair of Texas this season, but during the opening ceremony, there’s a focus on one group of heroes: Camp counselors who saved lives during the catastrophic Central Texas flooding. 

 Ainslie Bashara was a first-time counselor at Camp Mystic during the flooding, who had previously attended the camp for 10 years as a child. All 16 of Bashara’s campers survived, even after flooding prevented their cabin door from opening.

The state fair recognized Bashara and counselors from all camps in Central Texas who sprung into action with the Pride of Texas award. 

What they're saying:

"So when our cabins started to fill with water we acted quickly. We told all of our girls to put their shoes on, rain jackets if they had them, and we were out of the door as fast as we had saw the water. I mean, it was a very quick process," said Bashara.

"So we ended up getting through a window and actually passing girls through the window," Bashara continued.

Karissa Condoianis with the State Fair of Texas says they knew honoring the counselors was the right thing to do.

"We felt an obligation for it to tie to the heroes that were involved with saving lives during the hill country flooding," Condoianis said.

More than 130 people died in the flooding, including 27 girls and counselors at Camp Mystic.

"I think it’s extremely important for me to recognize Heaven's 27 and the impact that all of those precious angels will forever have on our lives," said Bashara.

So, while the fair will celebrate bringing millions of Texans together this fall, it’s doing so with a message of remembrance and appreciation.

"I think just turning to your faith and trusting during the Lord in this time is really the importance of it," said Bashara.

Deadly Texas flooding

The backstory:

In the early hours on July 4, four months worth of rain fell in Central Texas, in an area referred to as "flash flood alley."

The Guadalupe River soon swelled far past its banks, sending a nearly 30-foot wall of water rushing down the floodplains while residents and campers slept. 

Summer camps, including Camp Mystic, had cabins built in and near known flood plains. Many people were killed in the floods, and long-lasting efforts to recover missing people enlisted the help of thousands of first responders and volunteers from across the nation. 

In the aftermath, questions were raised about warning sirens, emergency preparedness plans, and response times in the towns and camps affected by the disaster. These concerns prompted the new Texas regulations.