Families of victims from the catastrophic Camp Mystic flooding in Texas have launched multiple legal actions against the historic Christian girls' camp, alleging gross negligence and preventable safety failures led to multiple deaths.
Deadly Floods Claim 28 Lives at Historic Camp
The devastating 4th July floods that swept through Texas's Hill Country claimed more than 130 lives across the region, with the 99-year-old Camp Mystic suffering particularly heavy losses. The camp, situated on the banks of the Guadalupe river in Kerr County, saw 25 young campers, two teenage counsellors and the camp's longtime owner Dick Eastland perish when floodwaters inundated the property.
Families Allege Preventable Tragedy
In lawsuits filed by Monday, several families described the deaths as "entirely preventable" and accused camp leadership of ignoring known flood dangers. The legal complaints name both Camp Mystic and members of the Eastland family, who had operated the camp for decades, as defendants.
One particularly damning filing, representing families of five campers and two counsellors, alleges the camp prioritised "profit over safety" by housing campers in flood-prone cabins to avoid relocation costs. The document claims camp leaders directed groundskeepers to spend over an hour evacuating equipment rather than people as the river rose.
Failed Evacuation and Rescue Efforts
According to court documents, the camp allegedly chose not to evacuate the Bubble Inn and Twins cabins when other campers had been moved to safer ground just 300 feet away. Instead, staff ordered occupants to remain in place as floodwaters overwhelmed the camp.
"Finally, when it was too late, the camp made a hopeless 'rescue' effort from its self-created disaster," the filing states, noting that no flood evacuation plans existed before the girls arrived despite the area's history of flash flooding.
The families are seeking more than $1 million in damages and have requested jury trials, alleging negligence, gross negligence, failure to warn, premises liability, wrongful death and breach of fiduciary duty.
Controversial Reopening Plans
The legal actions come as Camp Mystic announced plans in September to partially reopen next summer, drawing criticism from grieving families. One lawsuit accuses the camp of using deceased campers as "a recruiting tool" by touting memorial plans without consulting parents.
The families also noted that the body of one camper, Cile Steward, remains missing, while the camp appears ready to resume operations. "The camp is ready to move on, but these girls and their parents first deserve transparency and justice," the suits add.
Camp Response and Defence
In a statement, Camp Mystic said: "We continue to pray for the grieving families and ask for God's healing and comfort." The camp's attorney, Jeff Ray, expressed empathy for affected families while disputing the allegations.
"We intend to demonstrate and prove that this sudden surge of flood waters far exceeded any previous flood in the area by several magnitudes, that it was unexpected and that no adequate warning systems existed in the area," Ray stated.
He added that the camp disagrees with "several accusations and misinformation" in the legal filings and will respond thoroughly in due course. No trial date has been set for the lawsuits yet.
