Camp Mystic in Texas is the target of at least four new state lawsuits related to the deaths of 25 campers and two teenage counselors during catastrophic flash flooding July 4.
An estimated 135 people in the Hill Country region died in the early morning hours that day when the Guadalupe River swelled suddenly. The victims at Camp Mystic, ages 8 to 13, were attending an all-girl retreat when the incident occurred.
According to CNN, one of the lawsuits was filed by the families of campers Anna Margaret Bellows, Lila Bonner, Molly DeWitt, Lainey Landry and Blakely McCrory, and by the families of counselors Chloe Childress and Katherine Ferruzzo.
The family of camper Eloise “Lulu” Peck filed a separate action as did the family of camper Ellen Getten. A fourth lawsuit was filed by the families of campers Virginia Naylor, Hadley Hanna, Virginia Hollis, Jane Hunt, Lucy Dillon and Kellyanne Lytal.
The lawsuits blame Camp Mystic owners Dick and Willetta Eastland of failing to warn parents the camp was located in a flash-flood zone. Three of the suits seek $1 million in damages each, and the fourth does not specify what damages it seeks.
Survivors also have claimed Dick Eastland, who died while trying to organize rescue efforts, initially prioritized saving equipment instead of the girls.
A view inside of 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. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
“Tragically, due to lack of planning, the absence of any evacuation plans, lack of training, inadequate warning systems and other acts and omissions of recklessness and gross negligence, plaintiffs’ daughters suffered terrifying, brutal and horrific deaths,” the fourth lawsuit states.
The lawsuit by the Peck family accuses the Eastlands of “gross negligence” in failing to follow modern safety measures for the camp located along the Guadalupe River, which rose from 3 feet to nearly 30 feet in less than an hour the night of the flooding.
“Our clients have filed this lawsuit to seek accountability and truth.”
“Defendants 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 suit claims.
Molly DeWitt’s father, Ryan DeWitt, said the litigation will help the family find comfort, National Public Radio reported. “We trust that through this process, light will be shed on what happened, and our hope is that justice will pave the way for prevention and much-needed safety reform.”
Plaintiffs in the suit filed by the families of five campers and two counselors accuse camp operators of intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence and seek damages for pain and suffering, counseling and funeral expenses and an award for gross negligence, Ministry Watch reported.
“Our clients have filed this lawsuit to seek accountability and truth. Camp Mystic failed at its primary job to keep its campers and counselors safe, and young girls died as a result,” attorney Paul Yetter said. “This action is about transparency, responsibility and ensuring no other family experiences what these parents will now suffer the rest of their lives.”
Camp attorney Jeff Ray disputed some of the accusations contained in the lawsuits, ABC News reported. “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.”
He added: “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.”
The camp recently announced it will partially reopen in 2026 with a memorial dedicated to flooding victims and updated safety protocols.