Real Estate Photographer in Marble Falls, TX

Michael Phillips was last seen driving an emergency vehicle during a rescue operation on July 5. His body has still not been recovered.

MARBLE FALLS, Texas — The Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department has announced the end of watch for its chief.

Fire Chief Michael Phillips went missing on July 5 during the catastrophic flooding that pummeled the Texas Hill Country throughout the Fourth of July weekend. Phillips was last seen driving an emergency vehicle during a rescue operation near Cow Creek. The vehicle was later located about 2 miles away, but Phillips was not found with it.

On July 7, Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd said search teams had been combing the area where Phillips went missing. Two days later, Burnet County officials confirmed Phillips was the county's only remaining missing person and crews had moved all of their resources to the area where he was last seen.

The county was utilizing resources from various state agencies, local fire departments, local law enforcement agencies and Austin Travis-County EMS to try to locate Phillips. Crews were also using helicopters from private citizens, the Texas National Guard and the Coast Guard, as well as drones, boats, cadaver dogs and boots on the ground.

A vigil was held to honor Phillips on July 11.

As recently as Saturday, July 12, the Burnet County Sheriff's Office said crews were searching for Phillips, stating there had been "many rumors on social media and elsewhere about the status of the search for him" and whether he had been recovered, but that the search was ongoing. The sheriff's office said specialist teams and equipment were continuing to deploy into the search area and "work themselves to exhaustion or until nightfall" in the effort to find Phillips.

While his body has still not been recovered, the Marble Falls Area VFD announced the end of watch for Phillips on Tuesday, July 15.

"Chief Phillips passed away in the line of duty while responding to a call for service in the early morning hours of July 5th, 2025. At this time, he remains missing," the VFD said.

"[Phillips] was more than just a friend, mentor, and leader – he was our family. His absence will leave a void in our hearts and our department that cannot be filled. We will honor his legacy and the extraordinary service he gave to our community by continuing to be the first responders he strived for us to be," the department continued. "We love you Chief."

According to his Facebook profile, Phillips has volunteered as fire chief since 1995.

Chief Michael Phillips went missing on July 5, but his body has yet to be recovered. The Marble Falls Area VFD announced an end of watch on July 15.

BURNET COUNTY, Texas — Crews continue to search for a volunteer fire chief from Marble Falls who has been missing for more than 20 days, following catastrophic flooding across Central Texas.

Burnet County said on Monday that the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) recently deployed a task force, TX-TF2, to continue the search for Michael Phillips, chief of the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department.

Phillips went missing on July 5 during the flooding that pummeled the Hill Country throughout the Fourth of July weekend. He was last seen driving an emergency vehicle during a rescue operation near Cow Creek; the vehicle was later located about 2 miles away, but Phillips was not found with it.

Local teams searched for Phillips for weeks. On July 15, the Marble Falls Area VFD declared an end of watch for Phillips, though his body has yet to be recovered.

Burnet County said TX-TF2 operated from the AgriLife Building at 601 Vanderveer St. for several days. After reporting its findings to Burnet County Judge Bryan Wilson, the task force was released back to TDEM. However, Wilson indicated the county might request further assistance in the future.

The county said the search for Phillips continues. He is the only remaining missing person in the KVUE viewing area.

Thomas Jacobs, the interim fire chief for Marble Falls VFD, remembers Phillips as a leader in the department he looked up to.

"I wouldn't ask for another leader. I wouldn't ask for anybody else, you know, in the fire service," Jacobs said. "He was all of our world. I mean he, you know, that's a hole that's never going to be filled."

Jacobs told KVUE Phillips worked in the department for over 20 years and was always hands-on.

"He fought the hardest and went the furthest," he said. "He went out doing what he loved, honestly."

Jacobs hopes the increased search and rescue efforts will provide Phillips' family with answers and closure soon.

Burnet County will lower the Texas flag to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Tuesday to honor Phillips. His family has scheduled a memorial in Marble Falls the same day.

Gov. Greg Abbott said that "individuals, businesses, municipalities, counties and other political subdivisions and entities in the surrounding area" may also fly their flags at half-staff for the same time period.

"The First Lady and I extend our prayers to the Phillips family during their time of grief and urge all Texans to remember and honor his service as a dedicated volunteer who gave his life for his community," Abbott said.

Eugene Bible said it all happened so quickly.

“ You hear people down here hollering — 'Help! Help!'" he said. “You're just hollering back, 'Just stay put, just stay put,' and that's all you can do.”

Floodwaters from nearby Hamilton Creek on Saturday tore through a section of his property, the Cedar Stays RV Park in Marble Falls. One resident, 79-year-old Walter Reed, died in the floods. As of Thursday, there were four other deaths in Burnet County and one person remained missing.

Residents said they woke up to water entering their RVs on Saturday morning. Those parked closer to the creek saw nearly 10 feet of water. There were about 50 trailers parked overnight, and all of them were damaged by the floodwaters. Most of them were total losses.

"These aren't weekenders," Bible's wife Robin, who manages the RV park, said. "This is their home, this is everything they have."

People climbed on top of their vehicles to avoid getting trapped or swept away. Eugene Bible said helicopters and boats helped rescue residents.

Hundreds of volunteers have come by the Cedar Stays RV Park in the past several days to help with recovery and cleanup efforts. Bible said the amount of support he has received in the aftermath of the disaster has been "amazing."

"We're getting reopened, but it's going to be a lot faster than we thought," he said.

Community members, including dozens of students from Marble Falls High School, have helped clear debris and burn brush piles. Others have dropped off water bottles, food and cleaning supplies for the RV park's residents and volunteers.

“I don't even know these people,” Bible said. “There’s a hell of a lot of good people in this country; you just don't know it until something like this happens.”

MARBLE FALLS, Texas (KXAN) — The last person unaccounted for from this weekend’s catastrophic flood in Burnet County is Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Chief Michael Phillips, who was swept away while helping others get to safety.

Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd told KXAN crews Tuesday morning that search and rescue efforts are ongoing for Phillips, whose last known location was near FM 1174 at Cow Creek.

Boyd said search teams from numerous agencies are covering the ground and sky via helicopters and drones. He said 12 K-9s were also aiding in the search Tuesday.

Phillips’ vehicle and personal items were found early on in the search after floodwaters receded. Boyd said the area where Phillips was last seen has treacherous terrain, which has made the search even more difficult for teams.

Phillips became the final missing person in Burnet County’s search after a body was recovered Monday night, Boyd said.

In total, Boyd said six people were reported missing after the flood, with five now recovered deceased. He said 62 people were rescued.

He said the numerous agencies helping in search, rescue and recovery efforts are working around the clock to locate Phillips.

Boyd said knowing a fellow first responder is still waiting to be found has added another layer of emotion to this search.

“It’s difficult searching for anybody but when it’s one of your own it makes it a little more difficult. Searching for the Chief is a little more difficult on us, but you know, we just do the job. That’s what we do,” Boyd said.

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MARBLE FALLS — Faith Academy football coach James Silvers usually holds practices during the summer from 8-10 a.m. But instead of taking on the gridiron Tuesday morning, he and his private school team from Marble Falls traveled across the street to the trailer park, which has been devastated by the recent floods.

Players ditched their helmets and pads, opting for boots and gloves. Instead of sprinting through grass, they trudged through mud and moved debris, clearing a path to allow residents to salvage whatever was left of their homes.

The Faith Academy campus has been established as the command center for state and local agencies that have been helping with the recovery efforts of the devastating floods in Kerr County. As Silvers spent his weekend there, seeing firefighters and public safety officers dash toward each emergency, he felt the urge to do whatever he could to help.

Silvers has been coaching football for 17 years. He enjoys seeing his boys grow, work as a team and build life skills. Ultimately, he recognizes that what’s going on in Marble Falls right now is bigger than football.

“We enjoy our game, we love playing our game and that’s fun to be a part of that,” Silvers said. “And they are building skills with that. But this is what it’s all about, just taking care of other people."

Donny Russell, 75, is one of the trailer park’s residents. He remembers waking up Saturday, July 5 at 7 a.m. to four and a half feet of water inside his trailer, his door glued shut due to the strong currents washing over the park. He eventually heard the blades of a helicopter whipping through the wind outside. Nelson looked and saw an officer helping his neighbor on board.

“You’re next!” he shouted at Russell.

Russell was transported safely to Faith Academy, where he attempted to process what had happened. He’s experienced plenty of tragedy as a Vietnam War veteran, but the July 4 flood has been a uniquely devastating event.

It’s the first time he’s lost everything.

“I think I was in shock. The second day, well, I had a few cry sessions,” Russell said.

Russell returned Tuesday, hoping to recover what little remained of his home. What he found aside from some of his belongings was a group of respectful, young men lending him a helping hand during one of his toughest moments.

“Gives you more faith in people when you see the young ones like that,” Russell said. “It does your heart good.”

It’s not just the football team that’s stepping up, however. It’s the entire town, spurred on by a ripple effect of reciprocation, generosity and kindness. Silvers said locals are donating food, clothing and more to the Austin Regional Clinic, which has served those most affected by the disaster. In turn, Silvers works with the community to keep the exhausted workers well-fed and hydrated as they continue to search for those who were lost in the flood.

Sawyer Jones, a senior on the Faith Academy football team, constantly drives by the trailer park on the way to school. Seeing it in ruins, abandoned and with personal belongings scattered everywhere, he didn’t hesitate when his coach texted his team asking for volunteers to help out.

“It’s the least I could do,” Jones said.

For his teammate, junior Wade Dillard, the experience of volunteering has put into perspective exactly what role football plays in his life. He loves the sport and enjoys the time he spends around it. But it’s a game. And as the team plays its part in the community-wide effort to recover from the floods, Dillard realizes just how small football is in the grand scheme of things.

“This inspired me and showed me that football should not be my main priority in life,” he said. “It should be to help other people.”

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