Kerr County, TX — The families of 13 girls and two counselors who died during the catastrophic Camp Mystic flooding this summer have filed lawsuits accusing the Texas all-girls Christian camp of gross negligence and reckless disregard for safety.
The four lawsuits, filed this week, mark the first wave of legal action following the July 4 disaster, which claimed 27 lives — 25 campers and two counselors — when the Guadalupe River overflowed and swept through the 99-year-old camp.
Multiple Families Take Legal Action
According to Yahoo News, the lawsuits name Camp Mystic and the Eastland family, which owns the property, as defendants. Plaintiffs include the families of Anna Margaret Bellows, Lila Bonner, Chloe Childress, Molly DeWitt, Katherine Ferruzzo, Lainey Landry, Blakely McCrory, Eloise “Lulu” Peck, Ellen Getten, 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 lawsuit states.
Many of the youngest victims were housed in cabins closest to the Guadalupe River, which became a torrent amid historic rainfall. Richard “Dick” Eastland, who co-owned the camp with his wife, Tweety Eastland, also died while attempting to rescue campers.
Lawsuits Accuse Camp of Putting Profit Over Safety
One of the lawsuits filed by the families of five campers and two counselors claims that Camp Mystic failed to create or follow basic emergency plans and prioritized profit over safety.
“These young girls died because a for-profit camp put profit over safety,” the filing reads. “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.”
The filing also claims that on the morning of July 4, as flash flood warnings spread, camp staff focused on saving equipment instead of children.
“Instead, with the river rising, the Camp chose to direct its groundskeepers to spend over an hour evacuating camp equipment, not its campers and counselors,” the document alleges.
By the time the camp ordered a rescue, the situation had become “hopeless,” leading to what attorneys described as a “self-created disaster.”
Families Say Camp Ignored Flood Risks
A separate lawsuit from the family of 8-year-old Eloise “Lulu” Peck alleges that Camp Mystic ignored repeated flood warnings and failed to modernize its safety protocols.
“Defendants knew that camp facilities were located in a flood zone, knew of the history of flash flooding in Kerr County, knew of repeated prior flood events at the Camp, and received warnings from family members about flood risk,” the complaint states.
Another lawsuit filed by the parents of 9-year-old Ellen Getten claims that the camp failed to issue an evacuation order until 12 hours after the initial flash flood warning.
“The 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 filing says.
Camp Mystic Responds
Camp Mystic issued a statement expressing sympathy for the families but disputing several accusations.
“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,” camp counsel Jeff Ray said.
Ray added that the camp continues to cooperate with investigators and maintains that Eastland’s efforts to save campers were heroic.
A Community in Mourning
The tragedy devastated Kerr County and left families across Texas grieving the loss of dozens of young lives. Many of the victims were elementary and middle school students attending Camp Mystic’s summer program for the first time.
The lawsuits collectively demand accountability, damages, and sweeping safety reforms to ensure that no other family endures such a loss.
What are your thoughts on this heartbreaking tragedy and the lawsuits against Camp Mystic? Share your views in the comments below.
