AUSTIN, Texas – In a significant development, health authorities in Texas have initiated an investigation into Camp Mystic following last year’s tragic floods that claimed the lives of 27 young girls. The camp’s future reopening this summer is now under scrutiny as the state reviews multiple complaints against its operations.
Alongside health officials, the Texas Rangers are also participating in the probe, focusing on alleged neglect. The precise role and scope of their involvement remain undisclosed, as stated by the Texas Department of Safety.
This investigation presents a formidable challenge for Camp Mystic, which is eager to reopen despite the lingering grief and anger from the families of the 25 girls and two teenage counselors who perished in the July 4 disaster. Nevertheless, over 850 families have expressed interest in sending their children back to the camp, contingent on the reopening of the unaffected camp areas.
The Department of State Health Services has highlighted that since February, it has been inundated with “hundreds of complaints concerning Camp Mystic’s operations during the summer of 2025,” pointing to potential breaches of state regulations governing youth camps. In response, the agency has sought assistance from state law enforcement.
The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed the involvement of the Texas Rangers in examining “complaints of neglect” related to the flood incident. Detailed information from either agency is yet to be disclosed. During the flood, the camp was caught off guard as the river surged dramatically from 14 feet (4.2 meters) to 29.5 feet (9 meters) in just an hour before dawn.
In a formal notification issued on Tuesday, the health agency informed the camp owners of the ongoing investigation but did not mention the Texas Rangers’ participation.
Lawyers for the families of the girls who were killed and the Camp Mystic owners did not immediately respond to email messages requesting comment.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called the Texas Rangers’ involvement a “criminal investigation” and said the state should not grant the camp a license to reopen until that probe and another one by state lawmakers are complete.
“I urge you to prioritize safety and do everything in your power to ensure Camp Mystic and/or their operators are not allowed to operate until the facts are in,” Patrick wrote in a letter Tuesday to the head of the health agency.
Families of several of the girls who died have sued the camp’s operators, arguing that camp officials failed to take necessary steps to protect the campers as life-threatening floodwaters approached. A district judge last month ordered the camp owners to preserve damaged cabins and other parts of the grounds in the flooded area as the lawsuits proceed.
The body of one of the campers killed, 8-year old Cile Steward, has not yet been recovered. DPS officials said the search for the girl continues.
Edward Eastland, one of the camp owners, was also killed. All told, the destructive flooding killed at least 136 people along a several-mile stretch of the river, raising questions about how things went so terribly wrong.
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