In a tragedy that has gripped the nation, sisters Blair and Brooke Harber, ages 13 and 11, were found dead—still holding hands—after flash floods tore through Hunt, Texas.

The girls were on a short family trip when floodwaters surged through their cabins around 3:30 a.m. Their father, RJ Harber, and mother, Annie, tried desperately to reach them, even borrowing a kayak to battle the rising current, but were forced to retreat and were later rescued.

Before the flood swept through, Brooke sent one final message: “I love you.”

Twelve hours later, their bodies were found 15 miles downstream. Their grandparents, Mike and Charlene Harber, who had been staying with the girls, are still missing.

The sisters were students at St. Rita’s Catholic School in Dallas and were remembered as kind, joyful, and full of faith — each had brought rosary beads on the trip.

Their family clings to those memories, heartbroken but grateful the girls were together, even in their final moments.