Texas Father’s Final Voicemails Reveal Heroic Last Moments Amid Deadly Flood
In a heart-wrenching turn of events, a Texas man’s desperate goodbye messages to his children are now shedding light on a night of terror, loss, and unexpected heroism during a devastating flood in Kerrville, Texas. Jeff Ramsey, 61, and his wife Tanya, 46, were swept away in the early hours of the morning when rising waters engulfed their Airstream trailer at the HTR RV Park. His final voicemails—filled with love and fear—are now haunting reminders of that tragic night.
A Wake-Up Call That Came Too Late
Jake Ramsey, 24, was fast asleep when his phone rang—a call that would alter his life forever. His father, aware he might not survive, left him and his sister Rachel, 23, tearful farewell messages.
“My dad made a call to me and my sister. We were asleep. He left us a message saying he wasn’t going to make it and that he loved us so much, telling us goodbye,”
Jake recalled, still visibly shaken by the loss of both his father and stepmother.
The first voicemail from Jeff was short but gut-wrenching.
“He called me once he realized there was no hope… He said, ‘Buddy. I love you so much. It doesn’t look like we are going to make it. Tell Rachey I love her,'”
Jake shared.
Jake described hearing fear in his father’s voice—something he had never experienced before:
“You never heard this guy panic, but we heard panic and fear in his voice.”
The Moment Everything Changed
In a second voicemail left for Rachel, the chaos was unmistakable. Background sounds captured the horror inside the trailer—rushing water, frantic voices, and Tanya’s heartbreaking screams:
“We’re dying, we’re dying!”
To make matters worse, the emergency evacuation alert from the RV park came tragically late. Jake revealed that the message urging residents to evacuate arrived *at the very moment* his father and stepmother were being overtaken by the flood.
“I saw that he got that text as they were floating away. Literally right as he left my sister that goodbye message,”
he explained. “It was a worst nightmare.”
One Final Act of Bravery
Even in his last moments, Jeff acted selflessly. Before the water overtook their trailer, he called other residents—specifically Tanya’s brother and mother—to warn them, allowing them precious time to escape.
“He rescued them because they would have slept in and they would have washed away… He saved their lives,”
Jake said, proudly reflecting on his father’s final heroic act.
Tanya’s Battle With Cancer
Tanya’s story adds another layer of sorrow to the tragedy. The 46-year-old had been fighting breast cancer and had shared her journey openly in a YouTube interview for Wigs.com in March 2024, where she worked as a Client Care Manager for nearly a decade.
Diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma after Jeff noticed a lump in 2023, Tanya bravely faced chemotherapy, losing her hair and enduring physical and emotional challenges.
“He always gave his honest opinion on my wigs,”
Tanya shared in the interview, recalling how Jeff supported her during her most vulnerable days. By that time, she had completed 13 chemotherapy sessions and reflected on her journey as one of strength and humility.
A Family Bonded by Love
Despite not being their biological mother, Tanya embraced Jake and Rachel as her own. Her love and care left a lasting impact on both siblings.
“Obviously we have a mom as well, but we were her babies,”
Jake said of Tanya’s unconditional affection.
Jeff, remembered by his son as a pillar of strength and kindness, worked at a local gym where he often witnessed what he called “daily miracles”—people recovering from injuries and defying the odds. He believed his purpose was to serve others in that space.
“There are miracles happening in that gym all the time,”
Jake said.
“That was his calling.”
A Legacy of Love and Courage
As the community mourns the loss of Jeff and Tanya Ramsey, their final moments serve as a powerful testament to love, sacrifice, and courage in the face of impossible odds. Jeff’s voice may be silenced, but his message of devotion—and his heroic actions—will echo in the lives he touched.