Flash floods carried a 22-year-old lady and her family from their encampment, leading to a harrowing 20-mile trip down the roaring Guadalupe River.

When we hear about tragedies like the recent Texas floods, our hearts hurt. But there is some positive news that brings us comfort and hope.

We hear of individuals assisting one another, amazing survival stories, and, most significantly, God’s hand at work. This is one of those amazing stories.

The man hears cries for help.

Carl Jeter was on his porch Friday morning when he heard screaming from the river. At first, he assumed someone was drifting downstream. Then he saw her.

Devyn, a young woman, was clinging onto a tree amid the flowing river. “There’s no other way to explain it,” Carl stated when asked what occurred next.

The Nightmare begins.

Devyn’s nightmare started about 4 a.m. The water at their campsite in Ingram started rising quickly. Her family attempted to flee in their car, but the river engulfed them.

They went out the sunroof and grabbed onto a tree. As the water continued to pour, her parents clutched her tight.

“The water kept overtaking them, and eventually they got swept away,” according to Josh Jeter. Josh is Carl’s son, and he learned the entire tale from Devyn later.

The family becomes separated.

The gushing water separated the family immediately. Devyn lost her father first. She and her mother clung to each other as the water swept them downstream.

“She said they were screaming back and forth, coming down the river for a period of time,” Josh told me. “Then she lost her mom.”

Devyn fights to survive.

Devyn battled for hours to remain alive. She clutched many trees, but the flood knocked them down. She traveled beneath bridges and saw people, but no one heard her cries for aid.

She went about 20 kilometers before arriving at the Jeter family’s farm.

Help arrives.

Carl contacted 911 straight away. He and his family used a bullhorn to communicate with Devyn as they waited for assistance.

“We had a tiny bullhorn and were yelling back and forth at her to let her know, ‘Hey, we’re just—wait on, hang on, hang on!’ She was frantic. I mean “desperate.”

The rescue took time. Carl even drove down the road to get a state officer to assist. Swift water rescue personnel eventually came with boats.

By that time, the water had dropped nearly ten feet. It wasn’t easy getting Devyn onto the boat. “Essentially she did a faceplant into the boat,” Josh told me.

The Jeter family opens their home.

The Jeter family welcomed Devyn into their home. They gave her a shower, fresh clothing, and nourishment.

“We clothed her because it had stripped all of her clothing off, and we gave her something to drink and a nap, and then we had a long talk with her,” Carl told me.

Devyn was bruised and fatigued. She had wounds and bruises all over her skin. She even had a serious cut on her head, which she was unaware of until she cleaned her hair.

“She was just in so much shock that she didn’t have a clue what was going on,” Josh told me.

As we write this, the Texas floodwaters have killed at least 79 people, including 28 children.

More than 40 individuals remain missing, including Devyn’s parents, aunt, uncle, and cousin from the Midland region.

Stories like these remind us that God is watching over us, even when everything seems bleak. He brought the right people to the right place at the right time to save Devyn’s life.

Please continue to pray for all of the families who are still searching for loved ones, as well as everyone who has been touched by these awful floods.