Texas flood disaster: Czech rescue team joins search for missing
Thursday marks the fourth day Czech firefighters have been assisting in the search for missing persons in flood-devastated central Texas, near the town of Kerrville. So far, they have recovered three bodies.
Firefighters from the Czech Urban Search and Rescue team, known as USAR, began their work Monday morning in the area around Center Point, Texas, where the Guadalupe River overflowed its banks on July 4th.
The 16-member team, which includes specially trained rescue dogs, split into two groups. Each group has reported potential findings.
On their second day in the field, the team conducted what’s known as a secondary search—a final, detailed sweep of the area. They moved slowly upstream along steep riverbanks, covering ground previously checked by earlier reconnaissance teams.
Major Jiří Studnička, a member of the USAR team currently deployed in Texas, explains:
“The day was marked, you could say, by a sort of secondary search—which for us means a final, thorough sweep. No other search teams will follow—only recovery crews. So anyone we don’t find now is, unfortunately, lost forever.”
Heavy equipment is expected to move in after the Czech firefighters complete their operations, to begin clearing flood debris.
One of the major challenges for the team is the threat of venomous snakes. The firefighters carry long poles for protection—but keeping the dogs safe is even more difficult, says Studnička.
“That’s probably the biggest challenge—to protect the dogs from being attacked by such animals,” he says. “We try to make noise to avoid contact altogether, but our resources are limited. So far—thank God—we haven’t had a direct encounter between one of our dogs and a venomous snake.”
At the end of their second day in the field, the Czech team received an unexpected visit. As they returned to base in Kerrville to prepare for a flight to San Antonio, they were met by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Air Force General Steven Nordhaus, Chief of the U.S. National Guard Bureau.
“They congratulated the whole team and expressed great admiration for the work we’re doing here,” says Studnička. “It was a big surprise, and a great satisfaction. We honestly didn’t expect to be appreciated this much.
“I think the guys were really pleased. Above all, we’re trying to make sure our work here is meaningful and that we help reduce the number of people still missing.”
This mission builds on a long-standing partnership between Czechia and the US. Through the State Partnership Program, the National Guard of Texas and Nebraska have worked with Czechia since 1993 on joint training and crisis response.
The deployment also shows how that support goes both ways. When floods hit Czechia last year, the Texas National Guard stepped in with aerial reconnaissance. Now, Czech firefighters are helping on the ground in Texas.
So far, the July 4th floods have taken at least 134 lives. More than 150 people are still missing, and the search could go on for months.
