Kerr County, TX — The families of 13 girls and two counselors who died in the catastrophic flooding that swept through Camp Mystic this past summer have filed lawsuits against the camp and its owners, accusing them of gross negligence and reckless disregard for safety.
The suits mark the first wave of legal action since the deadly July 4 disaster, which claimed the lives of 25 campers and two counselors after torrential rainfall caused the Guadalupe River to surge through the 99-year-old all-girls Christian camp.
Multiple Lawsuits Filed by Grieving Families
Four separate lawsuits were filed this week, representing the families of 15 victims. The defendants named in each suit include Camp Mystic and members of the Eastland family, who own and operate the camp in Kerr County.
According to Yahoo News, one lawsuit was filed by the families of five campers and two counselors: Anna Margaret Bellows, Lila Bonner, Chloe Childress, Molly DeWitt, Katherine Ferruzzo, Lainey Landry, and Blakely McCrory. Another was filed by the family of 8-year-old Eloise “Lulu” Peck, a third by the family of 9-year-old Ellen Getten, and the fourth by the families of six other campers — Virginia Naylor, Hadley Hanna, Virginia Hollis, Jane Hunt, Lucy Dillon, and Kellyanne Lytal.
“Tragically, due to lack of planning, the absence of any evacuation plans, lack of training, inadequate warning systems, and other acts and omissions of recklessness and gross negligence, Plaintiffs’ daughters suffered terrifying, brutal, and horrific deaths,” one of the lawsuits stated.
Allegations of Negligence and Poor Safety Planning
The families allege that Camp Mystic ignored warnings and failed to establish a proper emergency response plan, despite the camp’s location in a known flood zone. Plaintiffs argue that the camp prioritized profit over safety and failed to move younger campers away from flood-prone areas near the Guadalupe River.
“These young girls died because a for-profit camp put profit over safety,” the lawsuit said. “The Camp chose to house young girls in cabins sitting in flood-prone areas, despite the risk, to avoid the cost of relocating the cabins.”
On the morning of July 4, families claim that camp leaders ignored warnings of life-threatening flash flooding, choosing instead to have staff evacuate equipment rather than the children.
“The Camp chose to direct its groundskeepers to spend over an hour evacuating camp equipment, not its campers and counselors,” the lawsuit continued. “Finally, when it was too late, the Camp made a hopeless ‘rescue’ effort from its self-created disaster.”
Missed Alerts and Inadequate Evacuation
The lawsuit filed by the parents of Eloise “Lulu” Peck accused Camp Mystic of failing to update flood safety protocols and ignoring previous flood events in Kerr County. Similarly, the family of 9-year-old Ellen Getten, one of the youngest campers housed at the Bubble Inn cabin, claimed that camp directors failed to act on emergency alerts issued 12 hours before the flood.
“That plan was wholly inadequate and purposefully left some of the youngest children in Bubble Inn completely stranded without instruction, direction, or adult emergency assistance before their tragic deaths,” the Getten family’s lawsuit stated.
Camp Mystic Responds
Camp Mystic issued a statement through its counsel, Jeff Ray, disputing the allegations but expressing condolences to the grieving families.
“While Camp Mystic sympathizes with the families, 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,” Ray said.
Richard “Dick” Eastland, who co-owned the camp with his wife, Tweety Eastland, was among those who died while attempting to rescue trapped campers, according to family representatives.
Families Seek Accountability
The lawsuits also criticize the camp’s “Emergency Instructions,” describing them as outdated and insufficient. A copy of the document was later found in a counselor’s flooded trunk, according to court filings.
The families are seeking unspecified damages and calling for accountability to ensure no similar tragedy occurs again. The lawsuits emphasize that the deaths were preventable with proper evacuation planning and training.
What are your thoughts on this tragic case and the ongoing lawsuits against Camp Mystic? Share your views in the comments below.
