False report about girls rescued from tree in Comfort, Texas goes viral

A story circulating earlier today claiming that two young girls were found clinging to a tree in Comfort, Texas more than 48 hours after catastrophic flash flooding has been confirmed as false.

The original report, published by a local newspaper, The Kerr County Lead, was later retracted with an editor’s note acknowledging the misinformation.

• Houston-area men found dead, several others still missing following Hill Country floods

Editor Louis Amestoy said the false story was disappointing but emphasized the challenges during rapidly evolving natural disasters.

“Like everyone, we wanted this story to be true, but it’s a classic tale of misinformation that consumes all of us during a natural disaster. Unfortunately, the story is not true and we are retracting it,” Amestoy said.