By Kuempel H.R. No. 185 76R5138 MDM-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is proud to honor 1-2 11-year-old Jennifer Diane "Jen" Dykstra, a true Texas heroine, for 1-3 displaying remarkable bravery by saving her father's life in the 1-4 "Flood of '98"; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Born on July 24, 1987, in New Braunfels, Jen is a 1-6 sixth-grader at Navarro Middle School in Geronimo; known for her 1-7 academic excellence and strong work ethic, she maintains a 97 grade 1-8 average and is described by her teachers as a delight to have in 1-9 the classroom and a diligent, polite student who exhibits strong 1-10 leadership skills; and 1-11 WHEREAS, On October 17, 1998, and continuing into the next 1-12 night, Jen demonstrated a maturity beyond her young years as she 1-13 and her father, Dan Dykstra, fought the violent floodwaters of the 1-14 Guadalupe River for their lives; the ordeal began when Jen awakened 1-15 in the middle of the night to find water in their house and alerted 1-16 her father; with life jackets secured, they were soon forced to 1-17 jump from a window into the black, swirling water; and 1-18 WHEREAS, The strong current had pushed their house off its 1-19 foundation and into the water behind them, pinning them against a 1-20 tree; Mr. Dykstra suffered a crushed chest, collapsed lung, and a 1-21 broken leg, but he had protected his daughter with his body and she 1-22 was not hurt; they were propelled downstream, where they were 1-23 slammed into a field of debris and struggled onto it to escape the 1-24 floodwaters; Miss Dykstra and her father were now safe from the 2-1 river, but their new shelter was covered with fire ants and fuel 2-2 from a leaking 300-gallon propane tank, and both Jen and her father 2-3 sustained hundreds of ant stings; and 2-4 WHEREAS, For the next 18 hours, Jen focused on keeping her 2-5 critically injured father alive; she talked and joked with him, 2-6 worked to keep him warm, and repeatedly attempted to signal 2-7 rescuers searching the area by screaming for help, using an air 2-8 horn they had found, and by waving her arms at passing helicopters 2-9 and planes; and 2-10 WHEREAS, Jen kept her composure for the sake of her father, 2-11 although later she admitted she had been "scared out of my wits" 2-12 and worried about snakes; this devoted daughter sang to her father, 2-13 prayed with him, bailed water in the boat they found for shelter, 2-14 and, ultimately, directed rescuers to their location in the dark; 2-15 she maintained steadfast courage during an extreme situation that 2-16 would have defeated many people; and 2-17 WHEREAS, Jennifer Dykstra's courage and perseverance in the 2-18 face of life-threatening danger serve as an inspiration to 2-19 individuals everywhere, and it is indeed appropriate that she be 2-20 honored at this time; now, therefore, be it 2-21 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas 2-22 Legislature hereby honor Jennifer Diane "Jen" Dykstra for her 2-23 heroic actions and extend to her warmest best wishes for continued 2-24 success and happiness; and, be it further 2-25 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-26 prepared for Miss Dykstra as an expression of high regard by the 2-27 Texas House of Representatives.