In the aftermath of the tragic incident on July 4 at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, the families of seven young girls and their camp counselors have taken legal action. They have filed a lawsuit alleging wrongful death and negligence, accusing the camp’s owners of prioritizing profit over safety by ignoring significant flood threats and disregarding state safety regulations.
This lawsuit, which was submitted on November 10 in Travis County District Court by attorney R. Paul Yetter of Yetter Coleman LLP, represents the families of the victims: Anna Margaret Bellows, Lila Bonner, Chloe Childress, Molly DeWitt, Katherine Ferruzzo, Lainey Landry, and Blakely McCrory. All these individuals lost their lives in the devastating flood.
The comprehensive 75-page document claims that Camp Mystic and its proprietors made a conscious decision to house young girls in areas vulnerable to flooding, opting not to relocate cabins to safer grounds in an effort to cut costs. The lawsuit also highlights the camp’s lack of an adequate evacuation plan, a requirement under state law.
“A heartbreaking disaster struck our state on July 4, 2025,” the lawsuit states. “A total of 25 campers and two counselors lost their lives needlessly in the floodwaters at Camp Mystic, a tragedy that could have been prevented.”
A view of Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, captured on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (Ashley Landis/AP Photo)
Located on a 725-acre property along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country, Camp Mystic sits in a region notorious for sudden and deadly flash floods. The lawsuit references a 1990 interview with former director Richard Eastland, who had reportedly told the Austin-American Statesman, “I’m sure there will be other drownings. People don’t heed the warnings.”
According to the lawsuit, the camp ignored multiple warnings — from weather alerts, staff concerns, and its own experience. Counselors allegedly pleaded to evacuate girls from low-lying cabins but were told to “stay put because that’s the plan.”
Aerial footage of Heart O’ the Hills in Kerr County, Texas after deadly flood. (Rep. Chip Roy via X)
TIMELINE DETAILED IN THE LAWSUIT:
• 1:14 a.m. — National Weather Service issued a “life-threatening flash flood” warning.
• 1:45 a.m.–2:13 a.m. — Camp leaders Richard and Edward Eastland allegedly worked to move equipment instead of ordering an evacuation.
• 2:20 a.m. — Counselors reported water entering cabins but were instructed to remain inside.
• 2:30–3:30 a.m. — Five cabins were evacuated to the Rec Hall; six others were left behind, including Nut Hut, Chatter Box, Wiggle Inn, Giggle Box, Twins, and Bubble Inn.
• 3:35–3:51 a.m. — Richard Eastland’s SUV was swept away as he tried to rescue girls from Bubble Inn; all 13 campers and two counselors in that cabin drowned.
• 3:35–4:09 a.m. — Eleven campers died in Twins Cabin after being told to stay because “the water would go back down.”
A view inside a cabin at Camp Mystic, the site of where at least 20 girls went missing after flash flooding in Hunt, Texas, on July 5, 2025. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images)
The petition argues that the girls could have safely evacuated within 60 seconds to higher ground if not ordered to remain in their cabins.
Families accuse Camp Mystic of gross negligence, premises liability, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The filing also highlights a written policy stating: “In case of flood, all campers on Senior Hill must stay in their cabins… All cabins are constructed on safe, high locations.”
The lawsuit also alleges that camp administrators misled families after the disaster, telling them the girls were merely “unaccounted for” hours after the floodwaters receded.
A search and rescue volunteer holds a T-shirt and backpack with the words Camp Mystic on them in Comfort, Texas on July 6, 2025. (Danielle Villasana for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Adding to families’ anger, the lawsuit cites the camp’s decision to announce its reopening for the next summer season while one camper, Cile Steward, remained missing.
The families are seeking more than $1 million in damages, including wrongful death and exemplary damages, and have requested a jury trial.
