Camp Mystic Withdraws Application To Reopen After Texas Flood Deaths And Lawmaker Pressure

Camp Mystic, the Texas Christian girls camp where 27 campers and counselors died in last July’s devastating floods, withdrew its application to reopen this summer after mounting pressure from parents of campers who died and from Texas lawmakers.

“Camp Mystic drops summer reopening plan over outrage by families and Texas lawmakers Camp Mystic drops summer reopening plan over outrage by families and Texas lawmakers 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”

Associated Press

In a statement Thursday, Camp Mystic 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.”

Associated Press

CNN reported the decision as a step back from a possible return many grieving families had feared would come too soon, and it said the Eastland family, who own and operate the camp, offered the withdrawal as the camp’s response to the pressure.

The Associated Press similarly described the move as Camp Mystic halting plans to reopen on the Texas river where floodwaters killed 25 girls and two teenage counselors, and it said the camp withdrew its application for a license renewal for 2026.

Scripps News and Newser both echoed that the reversal followed weeks of testimony in court hearings and legislative investigations, with Scripps News describing “the camp’s lack of detailed planning for a flood emergency” and “missed chances for an evacuation that came too late.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement that the results of ongoing investigations into Camp Mystic by DSHS and the Texas Rangers “will be made public as soon as possible,” and he added that the camp’s decision means it will remain closed this year, according to CNN.

Court and legislative hearings described a cascade of problems before and during the July Fourth weekend flood, and multiple outlets tied those findings to why the camp’s reopening plan unraveled.

The Associated Press 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,” and it placed the camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River in “the early morning hours of July Fourth.”

Boston Herald

Scripps News similarly said the hearings “laid bare the camp’s lack of detailed planning for a flood emergency” and “reliance on poorly trained staff,” while also describing “missed chances for an evacuation that came too late as floodwaters ripped through the camp.”

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 said the backlash was swift as camp owners explored reopening options despite those investigations.

Spectrum Noticias, covering testimony in Travis County, reported that Edward Eastland admitted under oath that he “no utilizaba radios de comunicación ni alertas meteorológicas activas durante el incidente,” and it said he testified that the directors “se retiraron a las 11 de la noche.”

Spectrum Noticias added that Eastland testified the directors did not see the flash flood alert the National Weather Service issued at “la 1:14 de la madrugada,” and it said the district judge, Maya Guerra Gamble, was evaluating whether to keep damaged cabins preserved and whether to prohibit the reopening scheduled for this summer.

The withdrawal drew immediate reactions from families, state leaders, and camp officials, with several different voices emphasizing grief, accountability, and the timing of the decision.

“Camp Mystic — the Texas Christian girls camp where 27 campers and counselors died in last July’s devastating floods — has withdrawn its application to reopen this summer, stepping back from a possible return many grieving families had feared would come too soon”

CNN

CNN quoted Cici and Will Steward, whose young daughter remains the only child still missing after the floods, saying they were “grateful that no child will be placed in the Eastlands’ care this summer” but questioning why the camp waited until now to withdraw its application.

The Stewards’ statement, as reported by CNN, said, “For nearly ten months, our family has lived with the unbearable absence of our eight-year-old daughter, Cile – the last Camp Mystic camper still lost in the ruin of the Guadalupe River,” and it accused the Eastlands of a “calculated exit from a license they were about to lose.”

The Associated Press quoted the same Stewards saying, “But let there be no confusion about what happened today. Camp Mystic did not withdraw its application out of grace. It withdrew because the state of Texas was about to deny it,” and it also reported that the Stewards said the hearings proved the camp “was not prepared for an emergency then or now.”

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

Camp director Edward Eastland offered a tearful public apology to victims’ families on Tuesday, saying, “We tried our hardest that night. It wasn’t enough to save your daughters,” and “I’m so sorry,” according to CNN, Scripps News, and the Associated Press.

While all the outlets described Camp Mystic’s withdrawal as a response to outrage and ongoing investigations, they emphasized different details about what the camp had planned, what the hearings revealed, and what state action would follow.

CNN framed the decision as a step back from reopening “this summer” and highlighted that the camp’s withdrawal came after “mounting pressure from state leaders and victims’ families to keep the camp shuttered,” while also stressing that “Multiple criminal and civil inquiries” were ongoing, including a wrongful-death lawsuit.

CultureMap Austin

Scripps News and Newser both described the reversal as “a striking reversal of the camp owners' determination to reopen,” and they pointed to legislative hearings where lawmakers vowed to block the reopening, including a quote from state Sen. Charles Perry: “The Legislature will support whatever it takes to shut them down as soon as possible.”

The Associated Press added a specific timeline detail, saying that as recently as Tuesday, members of the Eastland family told state lawmakers the camp would be ready to open for business for nearly 900 campers on May 30, before the Thursday announcement that the camp withdrew its application for a license renewal for 2026.

CultureMap Austin, using an AP dateline, described the families packing hearings and wearing “Heaven’s 27” pins, and it included a description of testimony with video of floodwaters as a girl repeatedly screamed for “help!” somewhere in the distance.

Spectrum Noticias, in Spanish, focused on courtroom admissions and procedural questions, reporting that the district judge, Maya Guerra Gamble, was evaluating whether to maintain preservation of damaged cabins and whether to prohibit the reopening scheduled for this summer.

Even after the withdrawal, the sources describe ongoing investigations, continued legal and legislative scrutiny, and unresolved questions for families.

CNN said multiple criminal and civil inquiries remain ongoing, including a wrongful-death lawsuit, and it reported that Texas Rangers and the Texas Department of State Health Services are continuing to investigate findings that will be made public “as soon as possible.”

KUT

The Associated Press said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott noted in a statement that the results of ongoing investigations by DSHS and the Texas Rangers “will be made public as soon as possible,” and it described that several civil lawsuits have been filed against the camp and the Eastlands.

The Associated Press also reported that the camp had seemed determined to reopen and had invited journalists and lawmakers to review safety improvements, promised that “no camp activities would take place in the low-lying area that was devastated,” and impressed that “hundreds of families wanted to return,” before regulators noted nearly two dozen “deficiencies” in its emergency operations plan for this year.

Scripps News said Texas health regulators have said they are investigating hundreds of complaints against the camp's owners, and it reported that the Texas Rangers are also looking into allegations of neglect, citing the Texas Department of Safety.

For families, the withdrawal did not end the fight: CNN reported that the Stewards said, “This is not the end,” and they added, “We will continue to fight for Cile and the recovery to bring her home,” while also saying they would continue to fight for “the legal reforms this Committee and the Heaven’s 27 Safety Act began.”