Emma Foltz, Governor Landry and Thomas Friloux
Alexandria native and Louisiana Tech senior Emma Foltz was awarded the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal for her role in safely evacuating 14 young girls from flash flooding at Camp Mystic in Texas. Governor Jeff Landry says it is the highest honor to bestow on a civilian.
“Emma heroically led 14 young campers to safety, ensuring that each girl in her care was evacuated. Emma’s action exemplifies the highest standards of leadership, devotion and compassion,” Landry said.
A counselor at Camp Mystic, Foltz acted quickly and decisively as waters rose in the early morning July 4th. She says she and her fellow counselors made sure their campers were calm and comfortable.
“My main focus was just keeping our girls entertained and safe and happy. And not letting them know what was happening, you know, just like a few minutes of a walk away at the old camp. Making sure they’re safe and healthy and, you know, they’re kind of getting their stuff together,” Foltz explained.
Foltz was praised for her compassion and resilience. She reassured the girls as helicopters circled overhead.
“So they’d be like, circling the area where it flooded, just being like, there’s just a big flood in Hunt, Texas and they’re just covering that media and not letting you know what was happening to the other camp. And then we evacuated and made sure all of our girls were safe,” Foltz said.
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