She lived through the unthinkable—and turned heartbreak into something beautiful. Skyler Derrington was just another camper at Camp Mystic when the devastating Texas floods tore through, leaving destruction and sorrow behind. She survived. Many others didn’t. In the days that followed, Skyler did something few could even imagine: she sat down, rewrote the words to “Hallelujah,” and poured her pain, faith, and love into every line. Her voice, raw and honest, first echoed through a simple phone video—just her and the song. That clip went viral, touching hearts across the country. And then, this morning—July 29th—she stood alone on live television, no backup, no instruments, just her voice and her story. As Skyler sang her version of “Hallelujah,” the room fell silent. You could feel it—every note carrying the weight of grief, hope, and something sacred. By the time she finished, there were no dry eyes. Just a moment no one will forget. 💜

Skyler Derrington Escaped From Camp Mystic During The Texas Floods, And Rewrote Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” To Tell Her Own Story

After escaping from the devastation that washed over Camp Mystic, a young teen is sharing her story through her rewritten version of “Hallelujah.”

On July 4, catastrophic flooding tore through the Texas Hill Country. Over 130 people were killed, including 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic.

Camp Mystic is a Christian summer camp located along the Guadalupe River. NBC News reported that the river surged up to 26 feet in mere minutes, leaving the kids and staff, especially those in the cabins closest to the river, little time to escape.

Skyler Derrington was one of the campers at Camp Mystic on that fateful day. She survived, but her experience and the loss of her fellow campers will affect her forever.

Skyler turned to music to cope with the tragedy. She found herself rewriting Leonard Cohen‘s classic song “Hallelujah,” using it to tell her story and pay tribute to the lives lost in the floods.

Some of her rewritten lyrics include:

“I heard there was a giant flood. But we were washed in Jesus’ blood…On July the 4th, 2025th, the water rose and we went adrift…”
“…Our faith was strong, you showed us love, like only God from up above. Your prayers, your hugs, and your love overwhelmed us…”

CBS News picked up a video of the young Camp Mystic survivor singing her version of “Hallelujah.” The video generated millions across the network’s social media pages, including 8.9 million views on Facebook and 12.4 million views on TikTok.

People were deeply moved by Skyler’s strength and her emotionally driven lyrics.

Skyler Derrington Sings Her Rendition Of “Hallelujah” On Live Television

On Tuesday (July 29), Skyler appeared on Fox & Friends to share her rewritten version of “Hallelujah” on live TV. She sang a cappella, letting her voice soar as images from the Texas floods flashed across the large screen behind her.

Everyone watching exclaimed, “Wow,” after Skyler finished singing. Hearing her share her story in such a raw and honest way clearly struck a chord.

Skyler also got to meet her favorite singer, Christian artist Lauren Daigle, who surprised her on Fox & Friends after her performance.

Videos of Skyler’s performance surfaced online after her Fox & Friends appearance. One of those videos has nearly 282,000 views at the time of this writing.

Watch Skyler Derrington share her version of “Hallelujah” in the video below. Our prayers remain with everyone affected by the floods in Texas…