Families of Camp Mystic campers, counselors who died in Texas flood file lawsuits

(NEW YORK) —The families of multiple campers and two counselors at Camp Mystic who died in the devastating flash flood in Texas in July are suing the camp, alleging gross negligence and reckless disregard for safety led to a “self-created disaster” that claimed the lives of 28 people total.

The Fourth of July flood wiped out the Christian all-girls sleepaway camp located along the Guadalupe River, which rapidly rose overnight while campers were sleeping. Twenty-five campers, two counselors and the camp’s director died after flood waters inundated the camp, trapping many in their cabins.

One of three lawsuits filed Monday includes the families of five campers — Anna Margaret Bellows, 8; Lila Bonner, 9; Molly DeWitt, 9; Lainey Landry, 9; and Blakely McCrory, 8 — and the two counselors who died — Chloe Childress, 18, and Katherine Ferruzzo, 19 — as plaintiffs.

“Today, campers Margaret, Lila, Molly, Lainey, and Blakely should be third graders, and counselors Chloe and Katherine should be freshmen at the University of Texas. They all are gone,” the petition stated. “And while their families struggle with their loss, the Camp’s actions since the tragedy have only deepened the pain.”

Among the actions, the lawsuit cites the recent announcement that Camp Mystic will partially reopen one of its sister sites next summer and continues to evaluate plans to rebuild the Guadalupe River location.

“And through it all, the Camp refuses to accept any responsibility for its actions and failures to act, defiantly blaming this tragedy on ‘an act of God’ that no responsible steps could have avoided,” the lawsuit alleged.

The lawsuit claims that the camp officials “focused on profits over safety,” made “catastrophic decisions concerning the cabin locations” and had unsafe policies regarding floods, including an alleged “never evacuate” order.

The families are seeking more than $1 million in damages, according to the petition.

“Our clients have filed this lawsuit to seek accountability and truth,” one of the families’ attorneys, Paul Yetter, said in a statement. “Camp Mystic failed at its primary job to keep its campers and counselors safe, and young girls died as a result. This action is about transparency, responsibility and ensuring no other family experiences what these parents will now suffer the rest of their lives.”

The second lawsuit against Camp Mystic was filed by the parents of 8-year-old camper Eloise “LuLu” Peck.

The lawsuit alleged that the campers and counselors were killed “after, predictably, the river rapidly rose, and floodwaters swept through what Camp Mystic knew was a vulnerable and low-lying area of the Camp.”

“Lulu Peck was among those horrifically swept away and killed,” it continued.

The lawsuit alleged that “these terrifying last moments and then deaths were proximately caused by the negligence and gross negligence” of the defendants, claiming they “knew that Camp facilities were located in a flood zone, knew of the history of flash flooding in Kerr County, knew of repeated prior flood events at the Camp, and received warnings from family members about flood risk.”

The third lawsuit was filed against Camp Mystic and related entities on Monday by the father of Ellen Getten, a 9-year-old camper who died on July 4.

The suit names two additional defendants that were not listed in the multifamily or Peck family suits: William Neely Bonner III and Seaborn Stacy Eastland.

All three lawsuits are seeking at least $1 million in damages.

In a statement to ABC News, Camp Mystic said, “We continue to pray for the grieving families and ask for God’s healing and comfort.”

Jeff Ray, legal counsel for Camp Mystic, said in a statement, “We intend to demonstrate and prove that this sudden surge of floodwaters far exceeded any previous flood in the area by several magnitudes, that it was unexpected and that no adequate warning systems existed in the area.”

“We disagree with several accusations and misinformation in the legal filings regarding the actions of Camp Mystic and Dick Eastland, who lost his life as well. We will thoroughly respond to these accusations in due course,” Ray added.

At least 138 people were killed in flash flooding across the Hill Country region, including 117 in Kerr County, officials said.

Officials in hard-hit Kerr County, where Camp Mystic is located, said that more than 12 inches of rain fell in under 6 hours, and that the Guadalupe River rose more than 20 feet per hour during the storm.

Regulations regarding the development of summer camps in an area known as “Flash Flood Alley” and flash-flood warning systems came under scrutiny following the disaster.

The catastrophe prompted the state to pass legislation aimed at enhancing safety measures at summer camps and create a grant program to support the installation of early-warning sirens in areas prone to flash flooding. 

In September, Camp Mystic announced plans to reopen one site of its summer camp next year. The summer program officials said that Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, a sister site that opened in 2020, will be open in summer 2026, while Camp Mystic Guadalupe River will not be able to reopen by then due to the devastating damage sustained earlier this year.

“The heart of Camp Mystic has never stopped beating, because you are Mystic. We are not only rebuilding cabins and trails, but also a place where laughter, friendship and spiritual growth will continue to flourish,” camp officials said at the time. “As we work to finalize plans, we will do so in a way that is mindful of those we have lost. You are all part of the mission and the ministry of Camp Mystic. You mean the world to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back inside the green gates.”

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