The families of several campers and counselors who died in the July Fourth flash flood at Camp Mystic have filed a lawsuit accusing the Hill Country camp and its owners of gross negligence and reckless disregard for safety.
The suit, filed in Travis County District Court, seeks accountability for what the plaintiffs describe as an “entirely preventable tragedy” that killed 27 girls and counselors.
Located along the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas, the camp has long operated in an area known as “Flash Flood Alley,” the lawsuit claims.
The lawsuit claims Camp Mystic failed to adopt state-required evacuation plans and ignored weather warnings.
According to the petition, camp leaders allegedly told campers to remain in their cabins and prioritized protecting property over human life. Those decisions, the suit argues, led to the loss of 27 lives.
“These young girls died because a for-profit camp put profit over safety.”
All told, the destructive flooding in Texas on the Fourth of July killed at least 136 people and washed away homes and vehicles.
“Heaven’s 27”
The families bringing the lawsuit include Warren and Patricia Bellows, Blake and Caitlin Bonner, Matthew and Wendie Childress, Ryan and Elizabeth DeWitt, John and Andrea Ferruzzo, Ben and Natalie Landry, and Lindsey McCrory.
The parents of 8-year-old Eloise “Lulu” Peck have also filed a lawsuit against the camp.
The lawsuits are collectively referred to as “Heaven’s 27.”
“We carry the memory of our daughter in everything we do. This legal step is about honoring her and ensuring truth and justice for all the families affected,” said Ryan DeWitt, whose daughter Molly was among the victims. “We hope this case brings accountability and leads to better safety protections at youth camps.”
“Camp Mystic failed in its most basic duty — to keep children safe,” Yetter said in a statement. “This lawsuit is about transparency, responsibility, and preventing future tragedies.”
“This was not an unforeseeable act of nature. What happened at Camp Mystic was preventable, and no parent should ever endure the pain of sending their child to a place of safety only to face tragedy,” said Randy Howry, one of the Peck family’s lawyers. “This lawsuit is about transparency, responsibility and ensuring no other family experiences what these parents have suffered.”
The plaintiffs are seeking actual and exemplary damages and say they hope the lawsuit will lead to stronger safety standards for youth camps across Texas.
CBS News Texas reached out to the owners of Camp Mystic for a statement, but so far have not heard back.
Camp Mystic responds to lawsuits
Jeff Ray, the legal counsel for Camp Mystic, released the following 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. 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. We disagree with several accusations and misinformation in the legal filings regarding the actions of Camp Mystic and Dick Eastland, who lost his life as well. We will thoroughly respond to these accusations in due course.”
Parents successfully push for new campground safety laws
Camp Mystic parents successfully pushed for Texas to pass bills aimed at preventing similar tragedies.
The measures aim to improve the safety of children’s camps by prohibiting cabins in dangerous parts of flood zones and requiring camp operators to develop detailed emergency plans, to train workers, and to install and maintain emergency warning systems.
One allocates $240 million from the state’s rainy day fund for disaster relief, along with money for warning sirens and improved weather forecasting.
Camp Mystic plans to reopen in Texas next summer after flood that killed 27
In September, less than three months after the deadly flood, the camp’s owners announced plans to reopen the Cypress Lake location, which is separate from the part of the camp that flooded in July, killing 27 girls and counselors.
The camp also announced that it will build a memorial to the girls who died in the flooding.
