One year after Kerr County floods, strangers still helping survivors rebuild

When the flash floods hit on July 4, 2025, hundreds of people needed to be rescued from the fast-moving waters of the Guadalupe River.

In some areas, the river rose to 26 feet high, the height of a two-story building, within a span of 45 minutes.

And it wasn't just trained first responders saving lives on July 4 of last year.

Everyday heroes answered the call to help, and even one year later, this community is still stepping up to help their neighbors however they can.

Last year, while CBS Texas morning anchor Madison Sawyer was in Kerr County covering the deadly floods, she met Kelsey Cravey.

Cravey's mother, Cindy Collier, and stepfather, Ken Collier, were rescued by strangers as their mobile home floated down the river in the floodwaters.

"She put her feet down, and that's when she stepped into the water and was like, 'Why is there water on the floor? What's going on?' And then, instantly, it was to their knees, to their waist," Cravey said.

Couple rescued by strangers during Guadalupe River flood

"And that's when they started panicking. So he took the shower curtain rod down, and he started trying to poke a hole in the roof. When they realized they didn't have enough strength, they opened the window and started shining flashlights outside, screaming and hollering. Finally, they heard a semi-truck honking its horn, and that's when they started screaming even louder, 'Hey, we're home. We're in here. We're in the home.' And two men said, 'Okay, we'll get you out,'" Cravey recalled.

A photo captured the moment Cindy and Ken Collier were rescued by three men — strangers who saw a need and didn't look away.

"We are pretty lucky that God gave us another chance to live," Cindy said.

Madison Sawyer visited Cindy and Ken this week as the calendar approaches the one-year mark since the floods destroyed the Colliers' home and took nearly all of their belongings.

"What we went through, we are lucky that we can sit on this porch and enjoy the world a little bit longer," Cindy Collier said.

And since the flood, more strangers have stepped up to help them pick up the pieces of their lives and start again.

Community donations help a family start over

"Everybody helped us build it, make it, and everybody just donated and donated and donated to get us settled," Cindy Collier said.

Their new home, furniture, and even a truck were all donated, sometimes by complete strangers looking to lend a helping hand.

"This truck was given to me by some folks that I don't even know," Ken Collier said. "They wanted to be anonymous, and they just handed me the keys and said, 'Here you go.' So that was quite the blessing right there."

Dozens of churches, nonprofits, and local businesses helped wherever they could.

"You can go back and look at all the food they've given us," Cindy Collier said. "It's all been donated."

"My clothes, all the way down to my socks, are new, and they were all donated too," Ken Collier said.

The banks of the Guadalupe River, which they once called home, are still a source of pain.

"When I drive through Hunt and Ingram, I cry every time because it's my home. That was my home," Cindy Collier said.

But a new chapter is now being written for the Collier family, with a few miracles from the past.

"When I was seven, my dad was a machinist, and he made a knife, inscribed it with his name, and gave it to me. I kept it all my life," Ken Collier said.

Lost family heirloom becomes symbol of hope

"About two or three days after the flood, I realized it was lost, and it just hurt," Ken Collier said. "I looked for that knife. I looked and looked for seven weeks."

But then, on the banks of the Guadalupe River, a small miracle appeared.

"It was the last weekend we were allowed to go on the property before they were going to demolish what was left of the house. I walked out there, and that knife was just sitting on a shelf," Ken Collier recalled. "And I was like, 'Thanks, Dad.'"

"If you were to ask me what one thing I would want to find, it was that."

A special memory found on the banks of the flooded Guadalupe is now a symbol of hope and healing as they begin a new chapter.

"People are just very generous, and they come out of the woodwork and really help out when people are in need," Cindy Collier said. "I don't know if they do it anywhere else, but they sure did it in Kerrville."

"It reestablishes faith in humanity, yeah, that's for sure," Ken Collier said.

For many reasons, the Colliers moved away from the Guadalupe River.

But hearing them describe the excitement they have for the future, and the pride they have in their new home, makes you realize the tangible impact that donations from people all around the world have had on this community in the Texas Hill Country.