Camp Mystic files bankruptcy after Texas flood killed 28 campers, counselors
Camp Mystic, a nearly 100-year-old all-girls Christian camp in Texas Hill Country, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Wednesday, June 24, nearly one year after catastrophic flooding killed 28 people—25 campers, two counselors, and the camp director. The July 2025 floods along the Guadalupe River claimed 28 lives at the camp and over 136 total in the region. The bankruptcy filing lists liabilities between 10 and 50 million dollars and assets between 1 and 10 million dollars. A Texas legislative investigation released this month found the camp lacked written emergency evacuation plans, failed to adequately prepare for known flood risks, and provided inadequate emergency training to staff. Multiple wrongful death lawsuits filed by victims' families are now paused under bankruptcy protection. Camp Mystic withdrew its application to reopen this summer in April after facing sharp criticism from lawmakers and victim families during hearings.
Key facts
- 28 people died at Camp Mystic in July 2025 floods: 25 campers, two counselors, and camp director Dick Eastland
- Camp Mystic filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 24, 2026, citing 10 to 50 million dollars in liabilities and 1 to 10 million in assets
- Texas legislative investigation found camp lacked written emergency evacuation plans compliant with state requirements
- Investigators concluded camp had inadequate staff emergency training and failed to evacuate despite ample advance warning
- Bankruptcy filing automatically pauses pending wrongful death lawsuits filed by victims' families seeking over 1 million in damages
- Camp withdrew its application to reopen in April 2026 after legislative hearings revealed safety deficiencies
- Over 136 people died in total from July 2025 Texas Hill Country flooding across six counties
- One camper, 8-year-old Cile Steward, remains missing and has not been recovered
How different outlets framed it
Left-leaning coverage: Left-leaning sources and Democratic lawmakers emphasize the camp's gross negligence in emergency preparedness, the state's failure to enforce safety regulations, and how the bankruptcy delays justice for grieving families. Some progressive commentary questions whether Texas's deregulatory philosophy contributed to the disaster.
Right-leaning coverage: Right-leaning and Republican perspectives highlight the newly implemented regulatory burden on summer camps—including expensive fiber-optic internet requirements—that some GOP lawmakers say are impractical and costly, while the camp's legal team argues the flood surge was unprecedented and unforeseeable.
Limits of this briefing
Camp Mystic's legal defense maintains the flood surge exceeded any historical precedent in the area and was unforeseeable; this perspective receives less emphasis in mainstream media but reflects the camp's stated position. Additionally, some Republican lawmakers express concerns that new emergency preparedness regulations are creating barriers for summer camps industry-wide.
Sources
- NBC News: Camp Mystic, where 28 died in catastrophic Texas floods, files for bankruptcy Centre
- CBS Texas: Camp Mystic files for bankruptcy nearly a year after deadly Texas floods Centre
- NPR: Camp Mystic files for bankruptcy almost a year after catastrophic Texas floods Centre
- Fox 4 News Dallas: Camp Mystic files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy following deadly Texas flash flood investigation Right
- Texas Tribune: Camp Mystic files for bankruptcy almost one year after deadly flood Left