Families of Camp Mystic campers, counselors who died in Texas flood file lawsuits

[ad_1] The households of a number of campers and two counselors at Camp Mystic who died within the devastating flash flood in Texas in July are suing the camp, alleging gross negligence and reckless disregard for security led to a "self-created catastrophe" that claimed the lives of 28 folks whole.

The Fourth of July flood worn out the Christian all-girls sleepaway camp situated alongside the Guadalupe River, which quickly rose in a single day whereas campers had been sleeping. Twenty-five campers, two counselors and the camp's director died after flood waters inundated the camp, trapping many of their cabins.

A search and rescue crew appears to be like for folks alongside the Guadalupe River close to a broken constructing at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, July 7, 2025, following extreme flash flooding that occurred throughout the July 4 vacation weekend.

Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP through Getty Pictures

One among three lawsuits filed Monday consists of the households of 5 campers -- Anna Margaret Bellows, 8; Lila Bonner, 9; Molly DeWitt, 9; Lainey Landry, 9; and Blakely McCrory, 8 -- and the 2 counselors who died -- Chloe Childress, 18, and Katherine Ferruzzo, 19 -- as plaintiffs.

"At the moment, campers Margaret, Lila, Molly, Lainey, and Blakely needs to be third graders, and counselors Chloe and Katherine needs to be freshmen on the College of Texas. All of them are gone," the petition acknowledged. "And whereas their households wrestle with their loss, the Camp's actions for the reason that tragedy have solely deepened the ache."

Among the many actions, the lawsuit cites the current announcement that Camp Mystic will partially reopen one in every of its sister websites subsequent summer season and continues to judge plans to rebuild the Guadalupe River location.

"And thru all of it, the Camp refuses to just accept any duty for its actions and failures to behave, defiantly blaming this tragedy on 'an act of God' that no accountable steps may have prevented," the lawsuit alleged.

The lawsuit claims that the camp officers "targeted on income over security," made "catastrophic selections regarding the cabin places" and had unsafe insurance policies concerning floods, together with an alleged "by no means evacuate" order.

The households are in search of greater than $1 million in damages, in keeping with the petition.

"Our shoppers have filed this lawsuit to hunt accountability and fact," one of many households' attorneys, Paul Yetter, mentioned in an announcement. "Camp Mystic failed at its major job to maintain its campers and counselors secure, and younger women died in consequence. This motion is about transparency, duty and making certain no different household experiences what these mother and father will now endure the remainder of their lives."

A view inside a cabin at Camp Mystic, the location of the place women went lacking after flash flooding in Hunt, Texas, July 5, 2025.

Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP through Getty Pictures

The second lawsuit in opposition to Camp Mystic was filed by the mother and father of 8-year-old camper Eloise "LuLu" Peck.

The lawsuit alleged that the campers and counselors had been killed "after, predictably, the river quickly rose, and floodwaters swept by what Camp Mystic knew was a weak and low-lying space of the Camp."

"Lulu Peck was amongst these horrifically swept away and killed," it continued.

The lawsuit alleged that "these terrifying final moments after which deaths had been proximately brought on by the negligence and gross negligence" of the defendants, claiming they "knew that Camp services had been situated in a flood zone, knew of the historical past of flash flooding in Kerr County, knew of repeated prior flood occasions on the Camp, and obtained warnings from relations about flood danger."

The third lawsuit was filed in opposition to Camp Mystic and associated entities on Monday by the daddy of Ellen Getten, a 9-year-old camper who died on July 4.

The swimsuit names two extra defendants that weren't listed within the multifamily or Peck household fits: William Neely Bonner III and Seaborn Stacy Eastland.

All three lawsuits are in search of no less than $1 million in damages.

In an announcement to ABC Information, Camp Mystic mentioned, "We proceed to wish for the grieving households and ask for God’s therapeutic and luxury."

Jeff Ray, authorized counsel for Camp Mystic, mentioned in an announcement, "We intend to display and show that this sudden surge of floodwaters far exceeded any earlier flood within the space by a number of magnitudes, that it was surprising and that no satisfactory warning techniques existed within the space."

"We disagree with a number of accusations and misinformation within the authorized filings concerning the actions of Camp Mystic and Dick Eastland, who misplaced his life as nicely. We are going to completely reply to those accusations in the end," Ray added.

A minimum of 138 folks had been killed in flash flooding throughout the Hill Nation area, together with 117 in Kerr County, officers mentioned.

Officers in hard-hit Kerr County, the place Camp Mystic is situated, mentioned that greater than 12 inches of rain fell in underneath 6 hours, and that the Guadalupe River rose greater than 20 toes per hour throughout the storm.

Rules concerning the event of summer season camps in an space referred to as "Flash Flood Alley" and flash-flood warning techniques got here underneath scrutiny following the catastrophe.

The disaster prompted the state to cross laws geared toward enhancing security measures at summer season camps and create a grant program to assist the set up of early-warning sirens in areas vulnerable to flash flooding.

In September, Camp Mystic introduced plans to reopen one website of its summer season camp subsequent yr. The summer season program officers mentioned that Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, a sister website that opened in 2020, will likely be open in summer season 2026, whereas Camp Mystic Guadalupe River won't be able to reopen by then because of the devastating harm sustained earlier this yr.

"The center of Camp Mystic has by no means stopped beating, since you are Mystic. We aren't solely rebuilding cabins and trails, but in addition a spot the place laughter, friendship and non secular development will proceed to flourish," camp officers mentioned on the time. "As we work to finalize plans, we are going to accomplish that in a manner that's aware of these we've misplaced. You might be all a part of the mission and the ministry of Camp Mystic. You imply the world to us, and we look ahead to welcoming you again contained in the inexperienced gates."