The University of Texas at San Antonio in a Wednesday statement confirmed the deaths of two students who went missing during the Texas Hill Country’s deadly flash flooding.
Reese Manchaca, an architecture student, and Ella Cahill, who was studying business management, are the latest UTSA-tied fatalities from the disaster, which has claimed at least 119 lives as of press time. The two women were roommates.
Katheryn Eads, a senior lecturer in UTSA’s Department of Psychology, also perished in the flooding.
Students, faculty and staff will remember all three women this week during campus-wide moments of reflection. The first of those will take place online at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, while the second will occur noon Friday on campus.
“It is important for us to have the opportunity to gather as a UTSA community to reflect on this devastating tragedy, pay tribute to the lives and contributions of those we’ve lost, and process the overwhelming news that has so greatly impacted our campuses,” Senior Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students LT Robinson said in a statement.
“Let us also draw strength from one another,” Robinson added. “Together, we can begin healing and provide the comfort and support that is so important during these challenging times.”
Manchaca and Cahill were staying with others at a cabin in Hunt when flood waters swept away the property, which was owned by the family of Cahill’s boyfriend, Aidan Heartfield. Heartfield — Cahill’s high school sweetheart — remains missing, according to the New York Times.
Manchaca was a resident of Montgomery County, north of Houston, and a recent graduate of Caney Creek High School.
“This tragedy has shaken so many, and the loss of such a bright, young life is truly gut-wrenching,” Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough said in a statement. “We are continuing to pray for those still unaccounted for, their families and all who are grieving in the wake of this unimaginable disaster.”
The body of Joyce Catherine Badon, 21, who was also with the group of friends when the flood waters rose, has been recovered, People magazine reports.
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This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 9, 2025.
