How a False Story of a Miraculous Rescue Spread Online During the Central Texas Floods

As torrential rains slammed Central Texas and the death toll from the resulting floods grew into the dozens over the weekend, rumors started to spread online about a sliver of good news. Two girls had allegedly been found alive in a tree near Comfort. The “crusty, embittered, grouchy journalist” in Louis Amestoy, editor of The Kerr County Lead, was skeptical — but the messages he was getting about the miraculous rescue wouldn’t stop, he said.

An on-the-ground social media report from a volunteer seemed to corroborate the story. After sending a reporter out to investigate and hearing from what he said were multiple self-described eyewitnesses, the Lead ran with the story July 6, which was subsequently shared both locally and nationally. The only problem was that the story was not true. “100% inaccurate,” as a local sheriff put it.

On Facebook, thousands of people had seen the story, with many expressing hope, gratitude and relief. Those hopes were crushed when Amestoy was forced to retract the story. Like other disasters before it, the floods had attracted fast-spreading misinformation and served as a warning about the vigilance required of journalists during emotionally charged news events.

A False Story Based on Fake Eyewitnesses

Flash floods starting July 4 in Central Texas have killed at least 109 people, according to news reports. Though officials have discouraged people from interfering with rescue operations, that didn’t stop volunteers from showing up, Amestoy said. When a reporter for the Lead, Jennifer Dean, went to the scene of the supposed rescue, “volunteer firefighters” and other community members recounted the story about the two girls as proof of the volunteers’ efforts, Amestoy said.

“You had so much enthusiasm in that community for that story. So many people were telling us that they saw the situation,” Amestoy said. “We literally had eyewitnesses.” Dean talked to roughly 20 to 30 people in Comfort, all of whom told similar versions of the story, Amestoy said. A few even took her to the site of the made-up rescue, he said.

Amestoy decided that they had enough sourcing to publish the story. However, he did not reach out to local officials for comment — because he anticipated that they would not confirm the rescue even if it were true. He said he had accurately reported on previous incidents related to the flood without the help of officials — who tended to wait until press conferences to release information — thanks to his sourcing.

The Importance of Accountability in Journalism

“You know you’re not going to get a confirmation from officials,” Amestoy said. “So even if I was to reach out, I knew what the answer was going to be, which is probably part of my problem, too.” The initial story, just five paragraphs long, cited nameless “witnesses” and “sources on the ground.” Busy reporting on other flood-related news, Amestoy said he intended to later update the story with more extensive details like the names of sources.

But just a few hours later, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha informed him that the story was not true. Amestoy retracted the article. “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 it,” reads the editor’s note Amestoy attached to the top of the story.

The Role of Social Media in Spreading Misinformation

One of the earliest versions of the narrative came from Cord Shiflet, a volunteer cleaning up debris. In his now-unavailable Facebook live video on July 6, a copy of which was shared on X, he said, “We just got news that two girls were found 27 feet up in a tree, alive. They’ve been holding on for over a day. And they found them six miles down river.”

Later that day, Shiftlet posted a video apologizing for sharing the story, saying the information came from Texas Department of Public Safety officials. “I don’t know their capacity. I don’t know their name, but (they have) DPS shirts with their badges and guns and radio communications,” he said, adding that he heard it from a Kerr County official, too.

We contacted Shiflet, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Kerr County government and sheriff’s offices, but no one we reached was willing to speak on the record. The Economic Times and The Kerrville Daily Times also reported the story, citing Shiflet’s live video.

The Consequences of Spreading Misinformation

Several high-profile individuals posting updates about the aftermath shared the story. These included meteorologist Collin Myers, who previously worked at CBS and has 148,000 followers. “Please let this be true,” he said. Doug Warner, anchor for KNWA-TV and Fox 24, also shared Shiflet’s account and labeled it as a “report.”

Myers and Warner edited their posts after The Kerr County Lead retracted its story. Amestoy said he finds it surreal how many people continue to believe the rescue took place even after the retraction. “We wanted this to be a good story. We wanted something positive to report, and that didn’t happen. And we are apologizing and holding ourselves accountable for this mistake.”

Conclusion

The spread of misinformation during the Central Texas floods serves as a warning about the importance of vigilance in journalism, particularly during emotionally charged news events. It highlights the need for accountability and fact-checking in reporting, as well as the potential consequences of spreading false information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What happened during the Central Texas floods?

A: The Central Texas floods resulted in the deaths of at least 109 people, and rumors of a miraculous rescue of two girls spread online, which was later found to be false.

Q: How did the false story spread?

A: The false story spread through social media, with a volunteer’s on-the-ground report going viral, and was later shared by several high-profile individuals and news outlets.

Q: What are the consequences of spreading misinformation?

A: The consequences of spreading misinformation include the spread of false hope, the erosion of trust in journalism, and the potential harm to individuals and communities.

Q: What can be done to prevent the spread of misinformation?

A: To prevent the spread of misinformation, it is essential to practice fact-checking, accountability, and transparency in reporting, as well as to be cautious when sharing information on social media.