Miles of scattered belongings lined the banks of the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country following a devastating July 4 flash flood.

The flood killed 135 people, and firefighters from across the state were deployed to assist in flood recovery efforts. 

Edinburg firefighter Kevin Gonzalez was among those who answered the call.

“There was debris you could see in the branches, and it was at least 26 to 30 feet in the air of blankets, pillows, toys, shoes and things like that, that's how high the water got there," Gonzalez recalled. “I have never experienced anything like that before. It was a lot."

Gonzalez spent 16 days on a boat, on the ground, and with K9 units helping with search and rescue efforts. 

“The water got so high, and the ground got so soft under the water, things were buried like 26 feet below the ground,” Gonzalez said.

At one point, Gonzalez found a Ford F250 that was buried along the Guadalupe Riverbank.

“The only reason we found it is… the mirror was sticking out three feet away from the river, and it was completely underground the whole truck,” Gonzalez said. “Those trucks are pretty big, and it's astonishing the devastation Mother Nature can have.”

Amid the destruction, Gonzalez said he also found tokens of hope were left behind by the very community he was helping. 

“Every so often we would find little care packages in our boats, and they would have a quote from the Bible and a bunch of Gatorade and stuff for us,” Gonzalez said.

As the community grapples with the over 130 lives lost and with some still missing, Gonzalez said he has a message for the people in Central Texas.

“I hope they were able to find some peace for the ones that were able to find their loved ones and know what happened…. I just want to say we are sorry,” Gonzalez said.

Watch the video above for the full story.