AUSTIN, Texas — The family of 8-year-old Mary Grace Baker, who died in the July 2025 flooding at Camp Mystic, filed a lawsuit Monday against the camp, its owners and affiliated entities, alleging negligence contributed to her death.
Mary Grace was among 25 campers and two counselors who died at Camp Mystic during the July 4, 2025, flash floods. She was one of six people who died in the “Twins I” cabin, which housed some of the camp’s youngest children.
The lawsuit was filed in Travis County as an automatic stay on wrongful death litigation against Camp Mystic lifted, allowing civil cases to move forward despite the camp’s ongoing bankruptcy proceedings. “There is no timeline for grief, and we needed this first year simply to survive it,” Mary Grace’s father, Clarke Baker, said in a statement. “We are not filing today out of anger. We are filing out of love, for our daughter, and for every child who deserves to come home from summer camp alive and unharmed.”
Lawsuit alleges camp knew of flood risks
The lawsuit alleges Camp Mystic knew its property faced a significant flood risk but failed to take adequate steps to protect campers.
According to the petition, the camp had knowledge of earlier floods, FEMA flood-hazard designations and floodplain permits. The family alleges Camp Mystic failed to establish adequate safety, training and evacuation procedures despite those risks.
The lawsuit claims camp leaders did not order an evacuation as floodwaters rose on July 4, leaving children and counselors in cabins in the floodway along the Guadalupe River.
The allegations include claims that Camp Mystic and its affiliates ignored previous flood warnings and historical information, failed to locate facilities in safer areas and lacked an effective emergency or evacuation plan.
The family is seeking damages under Texas law through wrongful death and survival claims, as well as exemplary damages. The lawsuit also requests a jury trial.
Attorney Tim Ferguson of The Ferguson Law Firm in Beaumont is representing the Baker family.
“This lawsuit is about transparency, responsibility, and ensuring that no other family endures what the Bakers have suffered,” Ferguson said.
Lawsuit comes amid bankruptcy proceedings
According to the family's attorneys, Camp Mystic filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June.
The family said control over flood-related litigation was recently transferred to two court-approved independent fiduciaries following proceedings in federal bankruptcy court.
The Bakers said they sent Camp Mystic a preservation letter on July 11, 2025, requesting that evidence related to the flood, including surveillance footage, staff communications and camp records, be preserved.
“Waiting this year did not make the loss any smaller, but it gave us the footing to fight,” Clarke Baker said. “We are asking for accountability, transparency, and meaningful change so that no other parents ever have to live through this.”
