Owners of a girls' summer camp in the Texas Hill Country where 25 campers and two teenage counselors died. catastrophic flood on July 4th, announced plans Tuesday for new safety measures that will be put in place when part of the camp opens next summer.
The owners of Camp Mystic said in a letter to parents that they plan to exceed new laws on safety in camps they were passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott after devastating floods that killed at least 136 people and washed away homes and vehicles.
“As we prepare for next summer at Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, we know safety is a top priority for all of you, as it is for us,” the Eastland family wrote in a letter to parents of Camp Mystic participants. “We thank the 27 Heaven Families and our state leaders for passing legislation that will help make camps safer, and our goal is to not only comply with the new camp safety laws, but to exceed them.”
The dead children and counselors became known as the “27 Heavens.” Owners of Camp Mystic include wife and other family members Dick Eastland who also died in the flood.
Enhanced safety measures at the camp include four river flood warning monitors designed to provide early detection of flooding, two-way radios in each cabin with national weather alerts, and high-power generators to maintain power in critical areas of the camp, including the office and mess hall.
“We understand that returning to Camp Mystic brings with it both hope and heartache,” the Eastland family said in the letter. “For many of your daughters, this return is not easy, but it is a bold step on the path to healing.”
Eastland Family announced in September that he plans to build a memorial to the girls killed in the flood and to reopen Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, a separate facility that is not adjacent to the Guadalupe River and did not suffer damage in the July 4 flood. The plan drew sharp criticism from some of the victims' families, who said they were never consulted about Camp Mystic's plans.
“Facilitating the reopening of the camp less than three months after the tragedy—while one camper remains missing—is unthinkable,” CC and Will Steward, whose 8-year-old daughter Kyle Steward died in the flood and whose body has still not been found, wrote to Camp Mystic officials when their reopening plan was first announced.
Families of several girls who died in the flood sued Camp Mystic and Eastlands in state court, alleging camp operators failed to take adequate steps to protect campers as life-threatening flood waters approached.
Camp Mystic plans to offer six separate 10-day sessions in 2026, starting May 30th and ending August 9th. They also plan to offer camp tours in April for enrolled campers, counselors and parents.
