Owners of Camp Mystic, where 28 people died in a flood, file bankruptcy
by Lisa Hornung · UPIJune 24 (UPI) -- The owners of Camp Mystic, a Texas summer camp where 28 people were killed last summer in floods, have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
In the bankruptcy filing, the camp's operators said its debts exceed $10 million and its assets were between $1 million and $10 million.
On July 4, 2025, a flash flood killed 25 girls between ages 8 and 10, two teenage counselors and the camp's co-owner. The camp is a girls' Christian camp along the Guadalupe River. Last November, the families of nine campers and counselors who died filed three lawsuits against the camp and its owners, claiming gross negligence for waiting to evacuate the camp until "it was too late."
The camp was in Kerr County in an area that meteorologists call "Flash Flood Alley."
On June 18, the state House and Senate released a report that laid blame on the camp for inadequate advance emergency planning, storm preparation, evacuations and incident management.
"The lessons to be learned from the camp's inadequate emergency planning and response are worthy of careful study for opportunities to avoid similar future tragedies," the introduction to the 115-page report said.
It said evacuation was left to just three men: The camp's co-owner, his son and a security guard. The co-owner, Richard "Dick" Eastland, died in the flood.
In April, the camp withdrew its application to reopen this summer after outcry from the public and victims' families.
At least 139 people died in the floods, and 119 of them died in Kerr County.
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