Families of children and counselors who died during the catastrophic July 4 flooding in the Texas Hill Country have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Camp Mystic, alleging the camp failed to protect those in its care.
The flooding, which swept rapidly through the region this summer, resulted in the deaths of more than 130 people. Among those lost were multiple campers and counselors at Camp Mystic, a long-standing Christian summer camp for girls near Hunt, Texas. In the months since, state lawmakers have moved forward with disaster-relief legislation and have heard testimony from families detailing their experiences before and after the tragedy.
In the petition filed this week, the families of five children and two counselors allege that, “These young girls died because a for-profit camp put profit over safety.” The filing claims that the camp placed cabins in known flood-prone zones and did not adequately prepare or train staff for emergency evacuation. It also states that, “The Camp chose not to make plans to safely evacuate its campers and counselors from those cabins, despite state rules requiring evacuation plans, and not to spend time and money on safety training and tools.”
The lawsuit further accuses Camp Mystic of maintaining a policy instructing campers and counselors to remain in cabins even in the case of dangerous flooding. It states that, “Forced to grieve the needless deaths of 25 campers and two counselors — not Heaven’s 27 — plaintiffs bring this suit to ensure that the full truth will be revealed, all responsible parties will be held accountable, and yet more preventable youth camp tragedies involving other innocent children in the future may be averted.”
Camp Mystic’s legal counsel, Jeff Ray, disputed the lawsuit’s claims in a statement. “We empathize with the families of the campers and counselors and all families in the Hill Country who lost loved ones in the horrific and unprecedented flood of July 4,” he said. “We intend to demonstrate and prove that this sudden surge of floodwaters 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 also said the camp disagrees with “several accusations and misinformation in the legal filings,” and stated that the organization would respond in full as the case proceeds.
The devastation prompted state leaders to take action. During a September event where multiple disaster-response bills were signed, Gov. Greg Abbott reflected on meetings with affected families. “Their hearts were broken, their spirits crushed,” Abbott said. “They dropped their daughters off at camp expecting to be able to see them again very soon. They had no clue they would never see those daughters again.”
Simultaneously, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows created investigative committees to examine the flood disaster. Burrows said in a statement, “The tragedy at Camp Mystic and the flooding disasters this summer have left a devastating impact on Texas families, communities, and our entire state. As Texans work to rebuild and recover, it is the responsibility of the legislature to understand what went wrong and ensure our state is better prepared for future emergencies.”
Despite the pending litigation and ongoing investigations, Camp Mystic has announced intentions to reopen. The organization stated its “decision to partially reopen areas of the camp is informed by our faith and our commitment to continue the nearly century-long mission and ministry of Camp Mystic to provide a Christian camping experience for girls that allows them to grow physically, mentally and spiritually.”
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