Lead: Families of victims of the July 4 Camp Mystic tragedy filed a state-court lawsuit in Austin on Monday, alleging camp operators failed to protect campers as life-threatening floodwaters surged through the Hunt, Texas property. The suit, brought by relatives of five campers and two teenage counselors who died, says staff ordered people to remain in cabins near the Guadalupe River even as the river rose catastrophically. Plaintiffs say the camp put financial considerations ahead of safety; the filing seeks more than $1 million in damages and comes as plans to reopen the 100-year-old camp next summer have drawn public backlash.
Key Takeaways
- The lawsuit names Camp Mystic, affiliated entities and owners, including the estate of owner Richard Eastland, who also died in the flood; it was filed Monday in Travis County state court.
- The plaintiffs represent families of five campers and two counselors; 25 girls and two teenage counselors were killed at Camp Mystic on July 4, a total of 27 victims at that site.
- The complaint alleges staff ordered occupants to stay in cabins located in low-lying, flood-prone areas while a groundskeeper spent more than an hour removing equipment.
- The Guadalupe River reportedly rose from 14 feet (4.2 m) to 29.5 feet (9 m) within about 60 minutes, overwhelming the camp before dawn.
- The broader July 4 floods killed at least 136 people across the region, prompting renewed scrutiny of emergency procedures and state-level reforms passed after the testimony of victims’ parents.
- The suit claims Camp Mystic lacked evacuation plans required by state rules and that a decision to keep cabins in flood-prone locations was driven by cost concerns.
- A separate, similar suit by the family of Eloise Peck was filed the same day; both suits seek accountability and fact-finding rather than listing a precise damages figure beyond “more than $1 million.”
Background
Camp Mystic, established in 1926, has operated on the banks of the Guadalupe River for nearly a century. The property includes cabins in low-lying areas popular for lakeside activities but vulnerable to flash flooding when upstream rains push the river quickly beyond its banks. State regulations require summer camps to prepare evacuation and emergency response plans; families allege those plans were not in place or not followed at Camp Mystic on July 4.
In the predawn hours of July 4, heavy rains and rapid runoff produced a sudden rise in the Guadalupe River. Local officials and citizens reported that warnings were issued in the area, but questions remain about how those alerts were received and acted upon at the camp. The death of the camp’s owner, Richard Eastland, in the same flood has further complicated both community response and legal proceedings. The larger catastrophe prompted legislative changes in Texas intended to strengthen safety standards for youth camps and other at-risk facilities.
Main Event
The complaint alleges a chain of decisions that placed campers in harm’s way. As floodwaters approached the camp, staff told girls and the counselors in riverside cabins to stay put, according to the filing, while a groundskeeper spent more than an hour moving equipment to higher ground. Plaintiffs say that delay and the policy to keep occupants in place, rather than evacuate, left those in the lowest cabins exposed when the river surged.
According to court papers and local reporting cited by families, the river rose from about 14 feet (4.2 meters) to roughly 29.5 feet (9 meters) in approximately 60 minutes, producing a rapid inundation. Camp buildings and infrastructure in the low-lying zone were overtaken before many occupants could reach safe ground. Emergency responders and neighbors later described scenes of fast-moving water and widespread destruction across the area.
In the immediate aftermath, county officials said some leaders were asleep or out of town, and camp spokespeople acknowledged the camp’s head had been monitoring weather forecasts; it remains unclear whether an urgent National Weather Service alert that triggered county phone warnings was seen by on-site decision-makers. Families say those uncertainties make the camp’s choices that night all the more damning and are central to the lawsuit’s negligence claims.
Analysis & Implications
Legally, the complaint frames the deaths as foreseeable and preventable harms attributable to a for-profit operator that failed to mitigate known flood risk. If plaintiffs prove the camp ignored regulatory obligations or internal policies for evacuation, the case could form the basis for sizable civil liability and pave the way for stricter enforcement of camp safety rules across Texas.
Beyond the courtroom, the suit is likely to intensify political and regulatory attention on siting and operational standards for youth camps. The image of cabins retained in flood-prone areas to avoid relocation costs—if borne out—may prompt state agencies to revisit inspections, mandatory evacuation planning, and siting guidelines for long-established facilities.
The litigation may also influence insurance markets and the economics of operating camps in floodplains. Facilities with aging infrastructure or thin margins could face higher premiums, additional compliance costs, or pressure to move or retrofit buildings. That chain reaction could reduce availability of low-cost outdoor programming, creating trade-offs between access and safety that policymakers will need to manage.
Comparison & Data
| Metric | Camp Mystic (July 4) | Regional Flood Impact |
|---|---|---|
| River level change | 14 ft → 29.5 ft (+15.5 ft) in ~60 minutes | Multiple rivers experienced rapid rises during the July 4 storm |
| Fatalities at site | 27 (25 campers, 2 counselors) | At least 136 deaths regionwide |
| Legal filings | Lawsuits filed in Travis County; plaintiffs seek >$1M | Statewide legislative reforms enacted after hearings |
The table summarizes the key quantitative elements cited by families and local authorities: an exceptionally rapid river rise, the concentrated death toll at Camp Mystic, and the broader regional catastrophe that has prompted legal and policy responses. These figures frame both the immediate negligence allegations and the potential scale of reforms under discussion.
Reactions & Quotes
Family members and community leaders have expressed grief and a demand for answers; officials and camp representatives have offered limited public comment while investigations and litigation proceed.
“These young girls died because a for‑profit camp put profit over safety,” the lawsuit asserts, charging that cabins were sited in flood-prone zones to avoid relocation costs.
Family lawsuit filing
“We trust that through this process, light will be shed on what happened, and our hope is that justice will pave the way for prevention and much‑needed safety reform,” said a parent whose daughter was killed.
Ryan DeWitt (parent of victim)
“We have been reviewing the events and cannot confirm whether specific alerts were received by on‑site personnel,” a spokesperson for Camp Mystic told reporters in the immediate aftermath, emphasizing uncertainty about alert receipt.
Camp Mystic spokesperson
Unconfirmed
- It is not yet verified whether the camp’s leadership actually received the National Weather Service alert that triggered county phone warnings before the flood arrived.
- Precise timeline details about who issued orders at the camp and when occupants were told to stay in cabins remain under investigation and may differ between eyewitness accounts.
- The extent to which cost considerations directly influenced the decision not to relocate cabins is set out in the suit but has not been independently proven.
Bottom Line
The lawsuit filed in Travis County crystallizes questions about whether long-standing operational choices at Camp Mystic, including cabin siting and evacuation practice, contributed to a preventable loss of life. Plaintiffs will attempt to show that known flood risk and the absence or noncompliance with evacuation protocols amounted to negligence.
Beyond monetary damages, the case is likely to drive additional oversight, regulatory change, and public debate about how to balance historical camp traditions with modern safety standards in flood-prone areas. For families and policymakers alike, the core demand is clarity: a full accounting of decisions made the night of July 4 and reforms that reduce the risk of a repeat tragedy.
Sources
- NPR (national news reporting)
- National Weather Service (official federal weather agency)
- Travis County (county government information)