Texas floods: Homecoming Queen Alyssa Ramirez swept to her death while returning from high school prom

Teenager dialled emergency services after vehicle stalled

Homecoming Queen swept away in floods while returning from high school prom

An 18-year-old cheerleader and student “homecoming queen” was swept to her death in the Texas floods while returning home from her high school prom.

Alyssa Ramirez, a student council president and popular athlete, dialled the emergency services after her car stalled in high water on Saturday night, just a few miles from her home.

Despite, raising the alarm, the flood waters swept her vehicle away. Her body was found the next day.

On Tuesday, tributes were paid to Ms Ramirez, who was a student at Devine High School, located 35 miles from San Antonio. In addition to her studies, she enjoyed playing tennis and volleyball, and was known for her ready smile and a competitive spirit.

“Every time you walk by her, she was smiling, lightened up everybody’s mood,” classmate Shay Agbert told News4SanAntonio.

The teenager had been returning from the prom in San Antonio and had tweeted a message to say she might get held up because of the weather. “The fact that we may be stuck in SA overnight because rain is so sad :(((,” she wrote.

Ms Ramirez’s aunt told a local radio station that there were no barriers on the road on which her niece was travelling and that her car stalled.

“She did the right things,” Roberta Ramirez said. “She called 911. She called her father, but it was just too much and too quick.”

Ms Ramirez’s parents joined in the search for their daughter. As it was, emergency teams did not discover her body until the following morning. Her vehicle was found nearby.

The student was due to finish high school on 5 June. She wanted to become an optician.

As it is, her funeral is due to be held on Wednesday at the First Baptist Church in Devine.