Teen says he's holding out hope family is found after Hill Country flood caused home to collapse

KERVILLE, Texas (KTRK) -- A teen is recovering in the hospital after he survived the catastrophic Hill Country floods that swept away his home and his family, who he hopes will be located soon.

Leo Romero Jr. told San Antonio affiliate KSAT that he hadn't seen his father, stepmother, or his two-year-old brother since 6 a.m. on July 4, when he said he heard water.

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"I could hear water under me. It wasn't inside yet," Romero said.

He says he woke up his family to alert them, and they began to get to higher ground and try to prevent the water from coming inside. The family used what they could to block the water, such as boxes and tables.

"My dad just tried to cover where the sliding door was with anything -- boxes or the table, but it just kept moving," Romero said. "We thought maybe we would still be OK, but water started coming super fast from the vents."

The teen says his father told them to get on the couch and hold on to the curtains as he hoisted his two-year-old in the air.

Romero says the next moment he remembered was when their house caved in, hitting him on the head. He says he hit a lot of rubble and trees trying to hold on, but the current rushed him away.

So was his family.

He says he spent nearly four hours in the water before firefighters were able to extract and rescue him and transport him for help.

SEE HERE: NASA to assist in Texas flood recovery efforts

As far as search efforts, Romero, who is celebrating his 18th birthday on Wednesday, said it's all hands on deck to find his family.

"We have the whole family. Searching. Neighbors, searching. I'm glad I'm safe, but it does hurt knowing that I don't know anything about my family," the teen said.