KERRVILLE, Texas – Along the Guadalupe River, one man is trying to turn a piece of land into a place of remembrance.
In the days after the deadly Hill Country foods, KSAT met Vinny Mifsud. His kayak business in Kerrville was swept away the morning of July 4. Now, half a year later, he said he wants to build a monument in its place.
“I would love to honor the people who volunteered,” Vinny Mifsud said. “I think we need to remember what happened here and how humanity showed up.”
Mifsud owns some of the land next to the Francisco Lemos Street Bridge. The night before the floods, he was leading a guided kayak tour on the river.
Light rain and lightning pushed him to sleep at home instead of staying in his RV next to the Guadalupe. He said it was that decision that saved his life.
“This was all underwater,” he said, walking next to the bridge.
Because of his property’s location, Mifsud said his land became a pivotal access point for many people searching in the days after the flood.
“This was like a main staging area,” he said.
His goal is to build a permanent monument to honor the volunteers and first responders who helped in the aftermath of the flood.
“Thank God they did all this work,” Mifsud said. “People helped out during search and rescue and were looking for our loved ones. We still have a few missing, and I know we’ll always be looking for them, and we still are.”
For Mifsud, the land now holds both the pain of what was lost and the gratitude for those who came when it mattered most.
“I’d love it every time someone passes this bridge to see the flag and the monument and just remember everyone who gave so much to help,” Mifsud said.
Read also: