Camp Mystic announces enhanced safety plans after death of 25 girls, 2 counselors
The owners of an all-girls summer camp in the Texas Hill Country, where 25 campers and two teenage girls died in catastrophic July 4 flooding, announced plans Tuesday for new safety improvements that will be in place when part of the camp opens next summer.
The owners of Camp Mystic said in a letter to parents that they plan to go beyond new camp safety laws that were passed by the Legislature and signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in the wake of devastating flooding that killed at least 136 people and swept away homes and vehicles.
“We are preparing for next summer at Camp Mystic Cypress Lake and we know that safety is of the utmost concern for all of you, as it is for us,” the Eastland family wrote in the letter to parents of Camp Mystic campers. “We thank Heaven’s 27 families and our state leaders for passing legislation to make camps safer, and our goal is to not only comply with the new camp safety laws, but also exceed their requirements.”
The deceased children and advisors are now known as “the Sky 27”. Camp Mystic’s owners include the wife and other family members of Dick Eastland, who also died in the floods.
Enhanced security measures at the camp include four river flood warning monitors designed to provide early detection of flood events, two-way radios in each cabin with national weather alerts, and high-capacity generators to maintain power to critical areas of the camp, including its office and dining hall.
“We recognize that returning to Camp Mystic brings both hope and sorrow,” the Eastland family said in the letter. “For many of your daughters, this return is not easy, but it is a courageous step in their healing journey. »
The Eastland family announced in September that they planned to build a memorial for the girls who died in the floods and reopen Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, a separate property that is not adjacent to the Guadalupe River and suffered no damage during the July 4 floods. The plan drew sharp criticism from some of the victims’ families, who said they were never consulted about Camp Mystic’s plans.
“Promoting reopening less than three months after the tragedy – while a camper remains missing – is unthinkable,” CiCi and Will Steward, whose 8-year-old daughter, Cile Steward, died in the floods and whose body has still not been found, wrote to Camp Mystic officials when their reopening plan was first announced.
The families of several of the girls who died in the floods sued Camp Mystic and Eastlands in state court, alleging the camp operators failed to take necessary steps to protect campers as potentially deadly floodwaters approached.
Camp Mystic plans to offer six separate 10-day sessions in 2026, from May 30 to August 9. They also plan to offer camp tours in April to registered campers, counselors and their parents.
