Camp Mystic Bankruptcy Following Tragic Flood

Dallas – Camp Mystic, a Christian camp for girls, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Wednesday. The filing follows a devastating flood that killed 25 campers and two teenage counselors along the Guadalupe River in Texas nearly a year ago.

Pressure on Camp Mystic increased after the disaster on July 4. The camp’s owners initially planned to reopen this summer for its 100th anniversary. However, they changed their plans in April due to outrage from victims’ families and lawmakers.

Lawsuits from victims’ families accuse Camp Mystic of failing to protect the girls as the floodwaters approached. Richard Eastland, the camp’s owner, died during the flood. The camp listed debts exceeding $10 million in a filing in federal bankruptcy court in Houston. Camp Mystic’s attorney has not commented on the situation.

Paul Yetter, representing several families of victims, stated, “Bankruptcy will not stop all responsible parties from being held accountable. These innocent girls deserve justice.”

For decades, Camp Mystic has been a staple summer institution for generations. Families sent their daughters there for activities like horseback riding, canoeing, fishing, and Bible studies. Other camps in Kerr County, west of Austin, managed to reopen despite lesser flooding impacts. The floods claimed at least 136 lives along several miles of the river.

After the tragedy, the Eastland family worked to reopen the camp, implementing enhanced safety measures. They installed flood warning monitors and provided two-way radios with national weather alerts in cabins. In spring, Camp Mystic’s lawyer announced readiness for nearly 900 campers.

Despite safety assurances, victims’ families and Texas lawmakers remained skeptical. State regulators identified nearly two dozen deficiencies in the camp’s emergency operations plan, including weaknesses in flood warning evacuations and safety training.

Extensive court hearings and legislative investigations revealed the camp’s inadequate flood emergency planning and reliance on poorly trained staff. Victims’ families attended the hearings, wearing “Heaven’s 27” pins with photos of their daughters, listening to testimonies of missed flood warnings. A video showed floodwaters while a girl screamed for help in the distance.

Before canceling reopening plans, Camp Mystic invited journalists and lawmakers to inspect safety improvements and assured no activities would occur in flood-damaged lowland areas. The Eastland family emphasized that many families still wished to return.