SAN ANTONIO – Brittany Guerrero remembers the phone call her father, 61-year-old Rudy Garza, made to her mother right before his red sedan was swept away Thursday morning on the access road of Loop 410 and Perrin Beitel.
“He said, ‘Oh my God, Sylvia. Water’s coming into my car,’” Guerrero remembered.
“She said, ‘Baby, can you reverse?’ And he goes, ‘You don’t understand. It’s like an ocean’s coming at me.’ She said, ‘Baby.’ And he said, ‘I love you.’ She said she loved him, and she said the call faded. And that was it.”
Guerrero said her father’s body was recovered on Friday afternoon. As of 4 p.m. Friday, Garza is among the 11 people who died as a result of Thursday’s storms on the Northeast Side.
Garza’s red sedan was found in the creek on Thursday afternoon, but she said it was after that phone call that she already knew in her heart that her father was gone.
“I really did,” Guerrero said. “The main reason why is because of my mom. And she said she had that feeling, and I always trust her. I mean, they’ve been together since middle school, so it’s tough for her.”
Guerrero said her father was the kind of man who always helped others.
Even in his final moments, Garza cared about others. Guerrero said her dad called his wife to make sure they were safe.
“To worry about me when he was in danger,” Guerrero said. “He didn’t even realize how fast it was.”
Now that they have recovered his body, Guerrero said they have closure. She said she will cherish her final moments with him forever.
Guerrero said she remembers the last thing her father told her.
“The night before, he said, ‘Good night. I love you,’” Guerrero said.
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