The camp director and co-owner of Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, tragically lost his life during devastating floods while reportedly attempting to protect his young campers.
According to Texas Public Radio, Dick Eastland, who became the camp’s owner in 1974, passed away after a massive surge of water swept through the Christian summer camp, situated along the Guadalupe River.
The report cited a Facebook post from Eastland’s nephew, though the post has since been taken down.
Counselors, former campers and politicians who knew Eastland praised him for his heroic actions and ultimate sacrifice to save his campers.
Katharine Somerville, a counselor at Camp Mystic’s Cypress Lake site, shared with “Fox News Live” on Sunday that the camp director was one of the “most selfless men in the entire world.”
“He was an inspiration to so, so many,” she said. “He was a father figure, a comforting force in the uncertainty of everything. He guided us in our faith and our activities. He always told us to make new friends and to share our love with everyone.”
Items lie scattered inside a cabin at Camp Mystic after deadly flooding in Kerr County, Texas, on July 5, 2025. (REUTERS/Sergio Flores )
There were 750 attendees at the camp when the catastrophic flood happened.
Over a dozen campers were confirmed dead as of Sunday afternoon, Kerr County officials said. One counselor and 11 campers remained unaccounted for.
Officials search on the grounds of Camp Mystic along the banks of the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept through the area Sunday, July 6, 2025, in Hunt, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
The death toll across Central Texas climbed to nearly 70 on Sunday.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters during a news conference Sunday morning that of the 59 confirmed dead, there were 38 adults and 21 children.
Authorities have reported four deaths in Travis County, three in Burnet and one in Kendall.
