Camp Mystic Lawsuit: Did Profit Prioritize Safety in Deadly Texas Flood?
The tragic events of July 4th, 2025, at Camp Mystic, a summer camp for girls in the Texas Hill Country, have sparked a crucial debate: Camp Mystic Lawsuit: Did Profit Prioritize Safety in Deadly Texas Flood? The disaster, which claimed the lives of 25 campers and two counselors, has led to multiple lawsuits alleging gross negligence and a reckless disregard for safety by the camp and its owners. These lawsuits raise serious questions about whether the pursuit of profit may have come at the expense of the well-being of the children entrusted to their care. The lawsuits collectively seek millions in damages.
A Preventable Tragedy?
The lawsuits paint a disturbing picture of a “self-created disaster,” alleging that Camp Mystic failed to adopt legally required evacuation plans, ignored repeated weather warnings, and prioritized the protection of property over the lives of campers and counselors. The camp, located along the Guadalupe River in an area known as “Flash Flood Alley,” has a history of flooding. Despite this, the lawsuit claims that camp leaders told campers to remain in their cabins, even as floodwaters rose to dangerous levels.
According to the lawsuit, starting July 3, Camp Mystic began receiving alerts from the National Weather Service warning of “the potential for significant rain and floods.” By early July 4, the camp was aware of the increasing danger, including a 1:14 a.m. warning of “life-threatening flash flooding.” Despite the warnings, the lawsuit alleges that camp leadership “took no steps to protect the lives” of campers and counselors.
The camp allegedly evacuated only five cabins, leaving others, including the Bubble Inn and Twins cabins, where the families’ loved ones stayed, exposed to the floods. According to the lawsuit, all 13 campers and two counselors in the Bubble Inn cabin, along with 11 campers from the Twins I and II cabins, including Blakely McCrory, died in the flood. Richard Eastland also died during the floods while saving campers. The lawsuit also criticizes the camp’s post-flood communications, telling the families their daughters were “unaccounted for” when deaths were already known.
Ignoring the Risks
The lawsuits further allege that Camp Mystic officials were aware of the dangers of flooding but failed to take adequate precautions. Specifically, the families claim that the Eastland family petitioned to remove cabins from floodplain designations to reduce insurance costs and continue marketing the camp as “safe.”
According to one of the lawsuits, “Camp Mystic’s requests to amend the FEMA map were an attempt to hide this safety risk from the public including the campers and their parents, avoid the requirement to carry flood insurance, lower the Camp’s insurance premiums, and pave the way for expanding structures under less costly regulations”.
Further, the suits claim that the camp did not implement adequate warning systems, evacuation infrastructure or other flood-safety protocols despite its long history of flooding. The camp’s seven-sentence flood emergency plan, in part, called for campers and counselors to remain in their cabins.
The “Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act”
The tragedy at Camp Mystic has prompted significant legislative action in Texas. Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 1 (the Youth CAMPER Act) and Senate Bill 1 (the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act) into law, aiming to enhance safety measures at Texas summer camps and better protect Texans from catastrophic flooding events.
The Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act prohibits the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) from licensing youth camps with cabins in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-designated floodplains (with limited exceptions). It also requires annual emergency training and planning, creates an online registry of licensed youth camps, and extends safety standards to campgrounds and recreational vehicle parks.
The Youth CAMPER Act requires youth camps to adopt and annually update emergency plans, train staff, orient campers, notify parents of floodplain risks with signed acknowledgment, and share plans with local emergency services.
However, some Texas youth camps are claiming that they may be forced to shut down due to the high cost of complying with new state safety regulations set to take effect for the 2026 summer season. These regulations would raise the initial licensing fee for large overnight camps from $750 to $11,000, and include requirements to move cabins out of floodplains, establish dual broadband internet connections for emergency alerts, and implement detailed evacuation plans.
Legal Implications: Negligence and Liability
The central legal question in the Camp Mystic lawsuits is whether the camp’s actions or inactions constitute negligence. In Texas, negligence occurs when a party fails to exercise reasonable care, resulting in injury or damages to another. To prove negligence, the plaintiffs must demonstrate that Camp Mystic owed a duty of care to the campers, breached that duty, and that the breach directly caused the deaths and injuries.
The lawsuits allege several acts of negligence, including:
- Failure to adequately assess and monitor flood risks: The families argue that Camp Mystic should have been aware of the potential for flooding and taken appropriate measures to protect the campers.
- Inadequate safety measures: The lawsuits claim that the camp’s evacuation plan was insufficient and that staff were not properly trained to respond to a flood emergency.
- Prioritizing property over safety: The families allege that camp leaders focused on securing equipment rather than evacuating the campers to higher ground.
If the court finds that Camp Mystic was negligent, the camp could be held liable for significant damages, including compensation for the victims’ pain and suffering, mental anguish, funeral expenses, and potential punitive damages.
The Role of Waivers
It is common practice for summer camps to require parents to sign liability waivers before their children attend. These waivers typically release the camp from liability for certain injuries that may occur while the child is participating in camp activities. However, waivers are not always enforceable, particularly in cases of gross negligence or recklessness.
Texas law generally disfavors waivers that attempt to release a party from liability for its own negligence. Courts will carefully scrutinize such waivers to ensure that they are clear, unambiguous, and conspicuous. Even if a waiver is deemed valid, it may not protect the camp from liability if its conduct was grossly negligent or intentional.
Gross negligence is defined as conduct that involves an extreme degree of risk, considering the probability and magnitude of the potential harm to others, and of which the actor has actual, subjective awareness of the risk involved, but nevertheless proceeds with conscious indifference to the rights, safety, or welfare of others.
Seeking Legal Advice
The Camp Mystic tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the importance of safety at summer camps and the potential consequences of negligence. If your child has been injured at a summer camp, it is essential to seek legal advice from an experienced personal injury attorney. An attorney can help you understand your legal rights and options and can represent you in negotiations with the camp or its insurance company.
To determine if a summer camp is liable for a child’s injury, consider the following:
- Review the camp’s waiver: Determine if the waiver is enforceable and covers the specific injury.
- Inquire about safety procedures: Investigate the camp’s safety protocols and their implementation.
- Assess preventative measures: Determine if the camp took reasonable steps to prevent the injury.
Conclusion
The Camp Mystic lawsuit raises critical questions about the balance between profit and safety in the operation of summer camps. As the legal proceedings unfold, it is hoped that the truth will come to light and that measures will be taken to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future. The safety and well-being of children must always be the top priority, and those who fail to uphold this responsibility must be held accountable.