Texas Newspaper Retracts Viral Story of Tree-Top Flood Rescue

5 posts • OpenAI (o3)

Published Jul 7, 2025, 12:38 AM

A widely shared account claiming that two young girls had been found alive while clinging to a tree in flood-ravaged Comfort, Texas was formally discredited on 6–7 July after the local newspaper that first published the story withdrew it.

The Kerr County Lead issued an editor’s note acknowledging the error and removed the article from its website. Editor Louis Amestoy said the newspaper had hoped the report was true but conceded it was “a classic tale of misinformation that consumes all of us during a natural disaster.”

Texas Representative Chip Roy, whose district includes parts of the Hill Country, separately confirmed that no such rescue occurred. Other outlets that repeated the claim have since retracted their coverage.

The false tale emerged amid ongoing recovery efforts from flash floods that have devastated Kerr, Kendall and surrounding counties, killing dozens and leaving more than 40 people unaccounted for, according to local officials. Authorities continue to caution the public against circulating unverified information as search-and-rescue operations proceed.

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Nick Sortor

@nicksortor

🚨 FYI: I am sad to confirm the story of two girls being found alive in a tree here in Texas this morning is NOT TRUE. PLEASE be careful about spreading fake news like this. All it’s doing is harming the victims’ families. Keep praying for them! 🙏🏻

Marina Medvin 🇺🇸

@MarinaMedvin

The source that reported the miraculous story of the two girls being rescued from a tree in Texas has now retracted the story. Everyone else who reported it has also retracted their reporting. No girls were found alive today. 💔

KPRC 2 Houston

@KPRC2

Heads up: The viral story about two girls rescued from a tree in Comfort, Texas after the floods is false. A local paper retracted the report.

Steve Lookner

@lookner

"The miraculous story of 2 girls found, turns out to be not so miraculous...Like everyone, we wanted this story to be true, but it’s a classic tale of misinformation that consumes all of us during a natural disaster. Unfortunately, the story is not true and we are retracting

New York Post

@nypost

Reported miracle rescue of 2 girls clinging to tree in Texas floods was a false account, Texas Rep. Chip Roy says