Body of Missing College Student Found After Texas Floods Killed His High School Sweetheart and 2 Friends

Friends Aidan Heartfield. Ella Cahill, Joyce Catherine Badon and Reese Manchaca were together in Hunt, Texas, when the July 4 flooding hit
Heartfield went missing and the bodies of his three friends were recovered
The missing man’s family confirmed their loved one’s death on July 12

The body of a 22-year-old Texas college student who went missing following the tragic July 4 flooding that claimed the lives of his high school sweetheart and two friends has been found.

The family of Aidan Heartfield confirmed his body was recovered on Saturday, July 12, according to CBS affiliate KFDM, ABC-NBC affiliate KBMT and the Beaumont Enterprise.

“I want to thank everyone in the community for their prayers and support,” said Thaddeus Heartfield, Aidan’s father, KFDM reported. “It has meant the world to us and sustained us through this difficult time. I know it has been important to all of the affected families. This is an important step toward closure.”

Thaddeus Heartfield said that authorities contacted his family, saying that Aiden had been found through DNA.

“My heart is overflowing with love and support that the community has shown us,” the elder Heartfield said, according to the Enterprise.

Heartfield was the final Beaumont, Texas, resident to be recovered from the flooding in Kerr County, Beaumont Police said in a social media post.

For the Fourth of July weekend, Heartfield took his girlfriend, Ella Cahill, their high school friend, Joyce Catherine Badon, and Cahill’s college roommate, Reese Manchaca, to his family’s home in Kerr County, The New York Times reported. The four friends had planned a fun weekend in Hunt, Texas, before the catastrophic floods hit.

But on July 4, at around 4:30 a.m. local time, Heartfield woke up and discovered water in the house, according to the Times. Heartfield was instructed to get to higher ground when he called his father,

Heartfield then gave the phone to Badon because he said he needed to help his girlfriend. A scream followed, and Badon told Heartfield’s dad to tell her parents she loved them, the Times reported.

Her father, Ty Badon, also recalled the group’s last moments on the phone in an interview with CNN.

“It’s been four o’clock yesterday morning that we were told that they were on the phone with Heartfield’s dad, who [owns] the house where they were,” Ty told CNN, noting the house “is no longer there.”

“Aidan said, ‘Hey I’ve got to go, I’ve got to help Ella and Reese … they just got washed away,’ and then a few seconds later the phone just went dead, and that’s all we know,” the young woman’s father said, recalling Aidan’s last contact with the group.

On July 7, Ty confirmed to NBC News that his daughter, Joyce, had been found dead. Joyce’s mother, Kellye Badon, also shared a message about their “lovely” daughter on her Facebook page. On that same day, Manchaca’s remains were recovered, CBS affiliate KHOU and CBS affiliate KFDM reported. Her death was also confirmed by Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough.

Heartfield was a marketing major at Trinity University, the school stated in a Facebook post on Monday, July 14, also confirming his death.

“Aidan was a cherished member of our campus community,” the college said. “He was bright, kind, and full of promise. We mourn alongside his family, friends, classmates, and professors, and we extend our deepest condolences to all who are grieving his loss.”

“In the weeks ahead, we will share opportunities for our community to gather to remember Aidan,” the school continued.

“As we move through this time of loss, the Trinity community will uphold and honor Aidan’s memory. We will also continue to take inspiration from the deep care and love he showed his friends and family,” they concluded.

Heartfield and Cahill, both high school sweethearts, discussed their future wedding while attending the ceremony of Cahill’s sister in Italy in May, according to the Times. The couple wanted to move in together after they graduated from college.

Heartfield also reportedly enjoyed spending weekends near the Guadalupe River, and the four friends grilled together that day.

On Sunday, July 13, the city of Beaumont held a procession for Heartfield’s body, KBMT reported.

“Aidan Heartfield’s journey home to Beaumont is now complete,” Beaumont Police public information officer Haley Morrow wrote in a Sunday Facebook post. “It was an honor to be part of bringing him back to the city he called home. Thank you to the law enforcement and first responder agencies who lined the route, and to everyone who helped make sure he was brought home with the dignity and respect he deserved.”