Families Sue Camp Mystic Over Deadly Texas Flood, Alleging Negligence, Profit Motive [WATCH]

Families of seven young girls and two counselors who died in the July 4 flood at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, have filed a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit, accusing the camp’s owners of ignoring repeated flood warnings and state safety regulations to protect profits.

The 75-page lawsuit, filed Nov. 10 in Travis County District Court by attorney R. Paul Yetter of Yetter Coleman LLP, lists the families of Anna Margaret Bellows, Lila Bonner, Chloe Childress, Molly DeWitt, Katherine Ferruzzo, Lainey Landry, and Blakely McCrory as plaintiffs.

The operators of Camp Mystic in Texas, where 25 girls and two teenage counselors died in catastrophic flooding on July 4, failed to take necessary steps to protect the campers as life-threatening floodwaters approached, families of the victims allege in a lawsuit.

The lawsuit,… pic.twitter.com/NbwRQg6pTo

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All seven victims were killed in the flood that swept through the camp along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country, as reported by The New York Post.

The complaint alleges Camp Mystic and its owners “put profit over safety” and “chose to house young girls in flood-prone areas to avoid the cost of relocating cabins.”

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The filing also accuses camp leadership of violating state requirements by failing to establish or follow an emergency evacuation plan.

“Just such a tragedy hit our State on July 4, 2025,” the lawsuit states. “When 25 campers and two counselors needlessly and tragically died in the floodwaters at Camp Mystic.”

Camp Mystic occupies 725 acres along the Guadalupe River, a region known for dangerous flash floods.

The lawsuit cites a 1990 interview with then-director Richard Eastland, who reportedly told the Austin-American Statesman, “I’m sure there will be other drownings. People don’t heed the warnings.”

According to the lawsuit, the camp ignored multiple warnings leading up to the disaster — including National Weather Service alerts and staff pleas to evacuate. Counselors allegedly begged to move campers to higher ground but were told to “stay put because that’s the plan.”

Timeline Detailed in the Lawsuit
• 1:14 a.m. – The National Weather Service issued a “life-threatening flash flood” warning.
• 1:45–2:13 a.m. – Camp leaders Richard and Edward Eastland allegedly worked to move equipment rather than evacuate cabins.
• 2:20 a.m. – Counselors reported water entering cabins but were instructed to remain inside.
• 2:30–3:30 a.m. – Five cabins were evacuated to the Rec Hall; six others were left behind, including Nut Hut, Chatter Box, Wiggle Inn, Giggle Box, Twins, and Bubble Inn.
• 3:35–3:51 a.m. – Richard Eastland’s SUV was swept away while he tried to rescue girls from Bubble Inn. All 13 campers and two counselors inside drowned.
• 3:35–4:09 a.m. – Eleven campers died in Twins Cabin after being told to stay because “the water would go back down.”

The petition argues that the girls could have safely reached higher ground within 60 seconds if not ordered to remain in their cabins. It accuses the camp of gross negligence, premises liability, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The filing also cites a written Camp Mystic policy stating: “In case of flood, all campers on Senior Hill must stay in their cabins… All cabins are constructed on safe, high locations.” Families argue this policy was inaccurate and led to preventable deaths.

The lawsuit further alleges that camp administrators misled parents after the disaster, initially claiming the girls were “unaccounted for” hours after the floodwaters subsided.

Families also condemned the camp’s decision to announce its reopening for the next summer season while one camper, Cile Steward, remained missing.

The plaintiffs are seeking more than $1 million in damages, including compensation for wrongful death and exemplary damages, and have requested a jury trial.

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