Parents who lost their daughters in the deadly Camp Mystic flooding continue to demand accountability and safety reforms as the camp prepares to reopen next year, dividing families and reigniting debates over whether the nearly century-old institution should welcome campers again.
Twenty-five young girls and two teenage counselors died when catastrophic flash floods swept through Camp Mystic on July 4, 2025, turning the beloved Texas Hill Country retreat into a site of unimaginable loss.
The Camp Mystic Tragedy
The Guadalupe River rose nearly 30 feet in under an hour during the early morning disaster, overwhelming cabins where the youngest campers slept. Camp director Richard "Dick" Eastland also perished while attempting to rescue girls from the rising waters, according to Dallas News.
In the months since, bereaved parents transformed their grief into legislative action. By September, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed three new camp safety laws championed by the victims' families, collectively known as the Heaven's 27 Camp Safety Act.
The legislation requires youth camps to remove cabins from FEMA-designated floodplains, install emergency warning systems with weather radios in every cabin, train staff annually on evacuation procedures, and develop comprehensive emergency action plans.
"No one had to die that day," parents testified before state lawmakers in August. Matthew Childress, whose 18-year-old daughter Chloe died trying to save younger campers, told legislators that his daughter "followed directions" by staying in her cabin as instructed, and that obedience cost her life.
Michael McCown, whose 8-year-old daughter Linnie perished, described the "shattered trust" after Camp Mystic sent a message suggesting his daughter was safe, only to later confirm her death.
Read more: Camp Mystic Plans Summer 2026 Reopening Following Deadly Flooding That Killed Dozens of Children
The families believe any one of these safety measures would have prevented their children's deaths. Lawsuits filed by parents allege Camp Mystic knowingly housed campers in cabins within a FEMA floodplain, lacked emergency protocols, and ordered children to remain inside as waters rose. Court documents claim the camp removed cabins from flood maps in 2013 to reduce insurance costs rather than relocating them to safer ground.
Camp Mystic announced in December that it will reopen its Cypress Lake property, located away from the flooded Guadalupe River area, for six 10-day sessions beginning May 30, 2026. The Eastland family, who now owns and operates the camp following Dick Eastland's death, pledged to exceed new safety requirements by installing four flood warning river monitors, two-way radios with weather alerts in every cabin, and high-capacity backup generators.
Parents Demand Change
The reopening decision has deeply divided families. Some parents plan to send their daughters back, viewing it as an important step in their children's healing journey, the San Fernando Sun reported. Patrick Hotze, whose three daughters survived the flooding, said he intends to return them to camp despite understanding the outrage from bereaved families.
But parents who lost children have condemned the plan as "unthinkable" and "insensitive." CiCi and Will Steward, whose 8-year-old daughter Cile remains missing, wrote that promoting reopening while their child's body is still unrecovered, and inviting new campers to swim in the river that may hold her remains, demonstrates callous disregard for their ongoing nightmare.
"Our girls are still dead," said Chris Bonner, whose daughter Lila died in the flood, after successfully lobbying for the safety legislation. For these parents, the new laws represent both a hard-won victory and a devastating reminder that no amount of reform can bring their children home.
Camp Mystic will begin enrolling campers in January 2026 and plans to offer tours in April for enrolled families. The camp has also committed to building a memorial honoring the 27 victims. Whether the community can heal remains uncertain as families navigate the tension between honoring lost children and allowing survivors to reclaim a place that once meant joy, as per US News.
