Camp Mystic Halts Summer Reopening After Texas Flood Deaths, Withdraws 2026 License Application

Camp Mystic, the Texas Christian girls’ summer camp where dozens of people died during July flooding, has halted plans to reopen this summer after previously seeking approval from state regulators.

“By JIM VERTUNO and SEAN MURPHY AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Camp Mystic on Thursday halted plans to reopen this summer on the Texas river where floodwaters killed 25 girls and two teenage counselors, backing down in the face of outraged families and investigations that accused the all-girls Christian camp of dangerous safety and operational deficiencies”

Boston Herald

In a statement Thursday, the camp said, “No administrative process or summer season should move forward while families continue to grieve, while investigations continue and while so many Texans still carry the pain of last July’s tragedy.”

Boston Herald

As a result, Camp Mystic said it will no longer seek a summer 2026 camp license from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, and it withdrew its application for a license renewal for 2026, according to reporting cited by multiple outlets.

The decision comes after the camp’s owner, Dick Eastland, died in the flooding, and after weeks of testimony in court hearings and legislative investigations that accused the camp of dangerous safety and operational deficiencies.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the camp’s decision means it will remain closed this year, and that the Texas Department of State Health Services is continuing to work with the Texas Rangers on an investigation into Camp Mystic with results to be made public as soon as possible.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who opposed reopening while investigations were ongoing, said, “I am thankful to hear that, today, the Eastland family withdrew their application,” and added, “Given the tragic circumstances, this is the correct decision to protect Texas campers and to allow time for all investigations to be completed.”

The camp’s reversal was also described as a response to “mounting pressure from parents of campers who died in floods,” with families and state leaders pushing for the camp to stay shuttered.

Before Camp Mystic withdrew its application, Texas regulators had identified deficiencies in the camp’s emergency preparedness and operations planning, and state officials tied those findings to the decision-making around reopening.

Reuters reported that “Last week the state sent a letter to the camp outlining two dozen deficiencies in the riverfront camp's emergency preparedness plan,” including “failure to provide adequate evacuation route maps.”

CNN

The Boston Herald described state regulators noting “nearly two dozen ‘deficiencies’ in its emergency operations plan for this year,” including “problems with flood warning evacuation plans, use of an emergency warning and public address system, monitoring safety alerts and training for campers about safety.”

The NBC New York report similarly said the hearings laid bare “the camp’s lack of detailed planning for a flood emergency,” “reliance on poorly trained staff,” and “missed chances for an evacuation that came too late.”

The KUT report added that “the Texas Department of State Health Services notified Camp Mystic its license to operate may not be renewed unless it made major revisions to its emergency plan,” and it said the camp was under an internal investigation after “hundreds of complaints were filed against it following the deaths of 27 girls and counselors last summer.”

CNN reported that during “two days of emotional testimony earlier this week,” investigators said the Eastland family “failed to build a flash flood evacuation plan, hold drills or give camp counselors any serious training in preparation for a major weather event – and delayed a response as waters rose.”

The Guardian also described that the camp’s owner, Dick Eastland, died in the flooding and that a spokesperson for the Texas department of state health services confirmed the camp had withdrawn its application.

The camp’s withdrawal triggered reactions from state leaders and from families who have been pressing for closure and accountability.

“Caution tape covers the entrance of Camp Mystic in Texas on July 7, 2025”

KOAM News Now

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick praised the decision, saying, “I am thankful to hear that, today, the Eastland family withdrew their application,” and adding, “Given the tragic circumstances, this is the correct decision to protect Texas campers and to allow time for all investigations to be completed.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said, “Our hearts are with the families who lost loved ones and those recovering from last year’s devastating Fourth of July floods,” and he noted that the results of ongoing investigations by DSHS and the Texas Rangers “will be made public as soon as possible.”

Families described the withdrawal as both relief and frustration over timing.

Cici and Will Steward said they were “grateful that no child will be placed in the Eastlands’ care this summer” but questioned why the camp waited, writing, “What the Eastlands offered today was not accountability.”

Jill and Patrick Marsh said they were “relieved” by the announcement and argued, “Such immense loss and raw grief cannot co-exist with business-as-usual,” while Matthew Childress called the withdrawal “a first step toward accountability.”

Childress said, “We never imagined a world without our daughters, and no decision made now can change that,” and he also described the months since the tragedy as an “emotional roller coaster of grief” and trauma that will “haunt our family forever.”

While the camp’s decision is consistent across outlets, the coverage diverges on key figures and on how it characterizes the underlying tragedy and the camp’s prior posture.

Reuters, as carried by U.S. News & World Report, said “Twenty-eight campers and staff members perished after heavy downpours in Texas Hill Country transformed the Guadalupe River into a killer torrent on July 4, 2025,” while other outlets used different counts.

NBC New York

The Boston Herald and NBC New York both described “floodwaters killed 25 girls and two teenage counselors,” and the Guardian described “27 campers and counselors” dying in “a catastrophic flood last year.”

CNN described “27 campers and counselors” dying as well, while KOAM News Now said “27 campers and counselors died in last July’s devastating floods” and also referred to “27” in the “Heaven’s 27” framing.

The Guardian and AP-linked reporting emphasized that the decision followed “days of intense questioning by Texas lawmakers,” while the U.S. News & World Report account emphasized the camp’s choice not to reopen and the state letter outlining “two dozen deficiencies.”

The Guardian included a camp rationale that it was “intended to remove any doubt that Camp Mystic has heard the concerns expressed by grieving families, members of the Texas house and senate investigating committees and citizens across our state,” while KUT quoted the camp saying it withdrew because it would “Rather than risk defending our rights under Texas law in a manner that may unintentionally effect further harm, we choose rather to withdraw our application for the 2026 camp season.”

Even the description of the camp’s earlier plans differed: the Boston Herald said members of the Eastland family told state lawmakers the camp would be ready to open for “nearly 900 campers on May 30,” while U.S. News & World Report focused on the camp’s decision to stop seeking a 2026 license.

Even with the camp’s withdrawal, the reporting emphasizes that investigations and legal actions continue, and families say the decision does not end their pursuit of accountability.

“Camp Mystic on Thursday halted reopening plans on the Texas river where floodwaters killed 25 girls and two teenage counselors, backing down in the face of outraged families and investigations that accused the all-girls Christian camp of dangerous safety and operational deficiencies”

NBC New York

CNN reported that “Multiple criminal and civil inquiries into the deadly July 4, 2025, floods at Camp Mystic remain ongoing, including a wrongful-death lawsuit,” and it described families calling on regulators to block any return to operations.

parismatch

KUT similarly said “the withdrawal of Camp Mystic’s application doesn’t impact the ongoing legal efforts by attorneys representing the affected families,” and it quoted lawyer Kyle Findley calling the decision “long overdue.”

KUT also quoted attorney Sam Taylor saying, “Until there is full accountability for what happened on July 4 and until there are real, enforceable safeguards for every child sent to a Texas summer camp, our work continues,” and it said attorneys emphasized that serious questions remain unanswered.

The Guardian described ongoing legal actions and noted that “Earlier this week, members of the family that owns and operates Camp Mystic faced questioning from Texas lawmakers,” and it added that “a judge in Texas ordered camp leaders to preserve the damaged cabins and land affected by the flooding while a lawsuit… moves forward.”

The camp’s own statement framed the withdrawal as removing doubts and as continued cooperation, saying it would “continue to fully cooperate with all ongoing investigations, comply with every lawful requirement, and continue supporting recovery and healing efforts,” according to the Guardian’s account.

For families, the consequences are personal and ongoing: KOAM News Now quoted the Stewards saying, “This is not the end,” and that they will “continue to fight for Cile and the recovery to bring her home.”