Camp Mystic relied on teen counselors with no emergency training before flood, investigator says
An investigator said 22 safety deficiencies and no emergency drills left counselors unprepared before the flood that killed 27 campers and counselors.
- On Monday, Texas lawmakers convened in Austin for the first public joint hearing of House and Senate committees investigating the July 4, 2025, floods that killed 27 people at Camp Mystic.
- Investigator Casey Garrett testified Camp Mystic lacked emergency training, drills, and evacuation plans; state officials cited the camp for deficiencies, allowing 45 days to correct emergency procedures.
- Garrett interviewed roughly 150 witnesses, describing a camp culture rooted in obedience where counselors feared repercussions for taking initiative during the storm, despite the Eastland family's known awareness of flood risks.
- Beyond the camp, Sen. José Menéndez emphasized the need to examine the broader 119 deaths across Kerr County and statewide preparedness systems during the investigation.
- Lawmakers aim to use these findings to shape future legislation when they return to Austin in 2027, as Camp Mystic currently seeks state approval to reopen a portion of its property.
104 Articles
104 Articles
Camp Mystic owners apologize for deadly flood plan failures and push to reopen over Texas lawmakers’ objections
Texas lawmakers heard one of the most comprehensive accounts of what happened at Camp Mystic during the devastating July 4 floods and questioned the owner’s actions and preparedness.
Poor preparation doomed Camp Mystic victims, investigator tells Texas lawmakers in harrowing account
Asked by the Texas Legislature to investigate last summer’s deadly flood at Camp Mystic, Casey Garrett recounted the harrowing early-morning hours as the Guadalupe River surged through cabins and reached deadly heights. Lawmakers at the Capitol hearing sat attentive Monday as Garrett methodically offered one of the most detailed accounts to date of the horrors of July 4 at the camp. Family members of campers and counselors who died, wearing now-…
Camp Mystic owners apologize to families as lawmakers question their readiness for upcoming camp season
Tuesday marks the second day of a legislative hearing on the July 2025 floods, which resulted in the death of 25 Camp Mystic campers, two counselors, and the operator of Camp Mystic, Dick Eastland.
The Killeen Daily Herald
State legislative investigation: Camp Mystic created 'complacent flood culture'
(The Center Square) – The first findings of a state legislative investigation into the deaths that occurred at Camp Mystic, in Hunt, Texas, last July, were presented in a two-day hearing that began Monday.
Investigators say Camp Mystic deaths were preventable in hearing revealing timeline of July 4 flood
During the first of two days of legislative hearings, investigators said 27 campers and counselors may have survived the July 4 flood at the Christian girls camp if camp leadership took action earlier or had a written evacuation plan in place.
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