Families of Camp Mystic Flood Victims Sue Camp Owners Over Alleged Negligence

Families of some people who died in the July 4 flash floods at Camp Mystic, a Christian camp in central Texas, have filed lawsuits against the camp and its owners. The floods swept through the region over the holiday weekend. Reports differ on the death toll at the camp. One report says 27 children and counselors died, while another says more than two dozen campers and staff members were killed. Across the region, one report puts the number of dead at more than 130 and another at at least 136.

The camp’s plans for the future became part of the dispute before the suits were filed. The camp announced that it would partially reopen the following year, and some victims’ families criticized that announcement.

According to one report, families of seven victims filed a lawsuit on Monday in state court in Austin, seeking more than $1 million in damages. Another report describes three separate lawsuits: one filed on behalf of five campers and two counselors, and two others filed for the families of two young campers, with all three seeking damages above $1 million. That report names Camp Mystic and the Eastland family as defendants. The first report describes the suit as alleging gross negligence and a failure to protect children.

The lawsuits allege that the owners knew about the flood risk but did not prevent or evacuate campers. One report says the suit accuses the owners of ignoring warnings about cabin locations along the Guadalupe River and an approaching storm. Another report, citing legal documents, says the camp housed young girls in flood-prone areas to avoid relocation expenses and failed to develop an evacuation plan, despite state regulations requiring one. These are allegations in the filings and have not been decided in court. A reference to the Eastland family says that Richard “Dick” Eastland, a co-owner of the camp, died while trying to rescue children; this statement came from a spokesperson for the family.

A lawyer for the camp’s owners said the camp empathized with the victims but disagreed with some of the accusations. Lawsuits seeking to hold the camp responsible for the protection of children in its care, as Proverbs 31:8-9 calls believers to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, have now been filed in court.