Texas Summer Camp Faces Legal Action After Tragic Flooding
Families of young victims who perished in a devastating flash flood at a Texas summer camp have filed three separate lawsuits alleging negligence and wrongful death. The legal actions come four months after the tragedy that claimed 27 lives at Camp Mystic in Kerr County.
On July 4, 2025, heavy rainfall caused the Guadalupe River to burst its banks, sweeping through the camp facilities and resulting in the deaths of 25 campers and two counsellors. The lawsuits, filed in Travis County on November 11, 2025, seek more than $1 million in damages under Texas' Wrongful Death Act.
Allegations of Gross Negligence
The legal petitions claim camp management was fully aware of the flooding dangers posed by the river's location but failed to inform parents or implement adequate safety measures. According to court documents, the Guadalupe River area had "a well-documented history of dangerous flooding" and was locally known as "Flood Alley" due to frequent and severe flood events.
One particularly heartbreaking petition came from the family of eight-year-old Eloise 'Lulu' Peck, who described the incident as a "self-created disaster." Their statement read: "There is no greater trust than when a parent entrusts the care of their child to another. Camp Mystic's shocking betrayal of that trust caused the horrific, tragic and needless deaths of 27 innocent young girls."
The lawsuits allege that despite advanced weather warnings, no flood evacuation plans were in place, and campers were instructed to remain in their cabins even as water levels rose dangerously. Court documents state that "to instruct children to stay in a cabin with rising flood waters was ultimately a death sentence."
Victims and Defendants
Among those named in the lawsuits are camp owners Dick Eastland, who died in the flood, and his wife Wiletta 'Tweety' Eastland, who survived the tragedy. Dick's son Britt Eastland is also named as a family representative. Additional defendants include Edward and Mary Liz Eastland, who served as camp directors.
One petition filed on behalf of six campers - Virginia 'Wynne' Naylor, Hadley Hanna, Virginia Hollis, Jane 'Janie' Hunt, Lucy Dillon, and Kellyanne Lytal - describes how they "lost their young lives in the most horrific, brutal, and terrifying way imaginable."
Another lawsuit represents the families of campers Anna Margaret Bellows, Lila Bonner, Molly Dewitt, Lainey Landry, Blakely McCrory, and counsellors Katherine Feruzzo and Chloe Childress.
Conflicting Accounts of Responsibility
In a surprising development, attorney Mikal Watts has announced he will defend Camp Mystic pro bono, arguing that "the facts here demonstrate that this is one of those occasions where no one is to blame." Watts contends the tragedy resulted from failures in warning systems rather than camp negligence.
He further noted that camp management suffered their own tragedy with the loss of "patriarch" Dick Eastland, who reportedly drowned while attempting to transport children to safety in a vehicle.
However, the families' lawsuits present a different narrative, alleging that defendants initially prioritized saving tools and equipment over evacuating the eight and nine-year-old girls. The legal documents claim that Tweety Eastland and Mary Liz Eastland focused on their own safety while the children were left in peril.
The families have vowed to pursue justice while also pushing for broader safety reforms in the summer camp industry, hoping to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
