KERR COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — It has been four months since floodwaters swept through Camp Mystic, killing 27 campers and counselors in the Texas Hill Country.
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This week, three lawsuits were filed by the families of campers and counselors who died in the early morning hours of July 4.
The same families — part of the group known as “Heaven’s 27” — have been pushing for new laws to make summer camps safer and better prepared for emergencies.
In new court filings, the families allege Camp Mystic ignored decades of warnings about flood dangers along the Guadalupe River. The lawsuits claim the camp received “life-threatening flash flood” warnings hours before the water rose. Rather than evacuate, leaders allegedly told counselors to “stay put” and spent more than an hour moving equipment instead of children.
The suits also accuse Camp Mystic of putting profits over protection, removing cabins from FEMA flood maps to save on insurance costs, and keeping girls in flood-zone cabins despite state rules requiring evacuation plans.
In a statement to 25 News, Camp Mystic’s legal team disputed the allegations, saying:
“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.”
One of the 27 victims is still missing — 8-year-old Cile Steward.
To support the ongoing search, visit thetexasrangers.org. Select a donation amount, fill in your contact information, and write “Cile Steward” in the section that references specific requests.
