The team deployed around 7 a.m. Friday from Corpus Christi, about 200 miles south of where the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas, had risen from about 3 feet to nearly 30 feet. Floodwaters in the area had swept through and battered several youth camps on the river banks — including Camp Mystic, the summer camp where they were headed.

An urgent alert was issued, and a Coast Guard helicopter and 45-foot response boat were deployed to search for the missing boat, the release said. After arriving at the search area, the Coast Guard boat crew spotted a flare burning in the distance - it was the missing vessel, officials say.