Teenage summer camp counselors expect to help young campers with nightmares and homesickness. They don’t usually expect to have to save kids’ lives.

But early last Friday morning, as raging flash floodwaters rose 30 feet in just one hour, the teenage counselors at legendary Camp Mystic in Texas jumped into action. Along with dedicated camp staff, they led over 700 campers to safety, using camp songs to calm the girls as they evacuated.

At least 27 campers and staff lost their lives in the floodwaters, including the camp’s longtime director Dick Eastland, who died trying to rescue campers. The search continues for more still missing.

But thanks to the quick thinking of some courageous teenagers, hundreds were saved. Click to meet them and see the full story.

(Photo credit Danielle Villasana for The Washington Post/via Getty Images)