Malaya Hammond saved her family from drowning in the early morning of July 5. Matthew Hammond and his wife, Liz, along with their children Surya, Khalil and Malaya, escaped their vehicle after it plunged into a river that washed out the bridge they were traveling on.
Matthew and Liz Hammond said the 17-year-old managed to open a door to the vehicle, allowing her family members to flee the sinking automobile and seek higher ground. But, the powerful river currents swept Malaya downhill.
Her mother described her as someone “always serving others,” kind, giving and caring. Malaya enjoyed using her creative instincts to make greeting cards for special holidays to give to her loved ones.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
“She just believed that you don’t buy a card, you paint a card,” Matthew Hammond said. “So, everything she did was a work of art.”
Malaya had many talents and skills, and she didn’t shy away from using them.
“When she danced, it was so purposeful,” Matthew Hammond said. “Like us, she was a musician. She (wrote) the most beautiful songs and harmonies. And her ability to harmonize, I think, matched her ability to harmonize with others. She thought that harmony was our natural state.”
Matthew Hammond said his daughter’s love for others would continue to push them forward, despite their grief.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
“When you lose someone this special to you, this precious, the only way to recover is to go out there and heal others,” Hammond said tearfully. “We have to go out there and bind up the brokenhearted.”
Sad, yet hopeful, Matthew described his daughter as the most loving person he’s ever known.
“We’ll devote the rest of our lives to her principles — to the principles of Malaya Grace,” he said. “We’re looking forward to serving the families that are in need out there — the ones that are hurting right now, those who have lost loved ones like we have. It’s a devotion we will make for the rest of our lives.”
Shakari Briggs is a Quality of Life reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She focuses on issues in the rapidly growing suburbs and surrounding counties.
Before joining the Chronicle in November 2023, Shakari worked for Spectrum News as a digital journalist based in her hometown. She has experience in broadcast reporting and producing as a former multimedia journalist and associate producer. The Dallas native has also worked at small to medium-sized newspapers throughout her career.
Her reporting on the rise and fall of a shopping mall won an Arkansas Associated Press Managing Editors Contest award. She also earned an Arkansas Press Association award for freelance reporting.
17-Year-Old Girl Dies in Texas Floods After Rescuing Family from Submerged Van
Malaya Hammond was “an incredible role model,” loved ones said
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/Malaya-Hammond-Texas-flood-victim-071025-e634650933574cb2b0d5ea726eb87bd8.jpg)
NEED TO KNOW
- A 17-year-old girl has died in the Texas floods after helping her family exit their van that fell into the raging waters on July 5
- Malaya Hammond was swept away in a current while she and her family tried to make their way to shore
- At least 120 people have been killed in the Texas floods, with 173 people unaccounted for
A 17-year-old girl has died in the Texas floods after helping her family exit their van that fell into the raging waters.
The girl — identified by family members to ABC affiliate KVUE as Malaya Hammond — died in the incident early on July 5.
Family friend Mikki Willis told KVUE that he and his wife had been traveling with Hammond and her family to a Christian summer camp.
However, the group ended up driving their van off a cliff after not noticing that the Cow Creek Bridge had been flooded, thanks to the heavy rain and darkness.
“Their van went over the cliff into the raging water, and it was Malaya who was the one that was able to get a car door open,” Willis said.
He added that while everyone was able to exit the vehicle and head towards the shore, Hammond got stuck in a current and was swept away. After a three-day search operation, the teenager’s body was found.
“The four of them went into the river to make peace with the water and to give thanks that they had found her and that they have closure,” Willis said of Hammond’s parents and younger two siblings.
“The parents are amazing, but Malaya also set the standard as the oldest. So she was an incredible role model for her siblings,” Willis added.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(756x453:758x455):format(webp)/Guadalupe-River-flood-July-2025-070425-0b5dd77e4c4e41f7bf17165f225cdb8a.jpg)
Hammond’s school also paid tribute to the late student.
“We are so sad to share the news that Malaya Hammond has passed away. 🙏,” the school wrote. “As we grieve, let us be encouraged by the words of Jesus, Malaya’s Savior and Friend, ‘I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.’ John 11:25.”
A GiveSendGo campaign to help Hammond’s family with funeral arrangements and more has so far raised over $136,000.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
According to NBC News, at least 120 people have been killed in the Texas floods, with 173 people still unaccounted for.
Among those who have died are 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic, the all-girls camp announced.
To learn how to help support the victims and recovery efforts from the Texas floods, click here.