The families of seven young girls and camp counselors who tragically lost their lives in the July 4 flood at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, have filed a lawsuit alleging wrongful death and negligence. They claim the camp’s owners disregarded flood dangers and state safety regulations to prioritize financial gain.

Attorney R. Paul Yetter from Yetter Coleman LLP submitted the suit on November 10 in Travis County District Court. The suit represents the families of the victims: Anna Margaret Bellows, Lila Bonner, Chloe Childress, Molly DeWitt, Katherine Ferruzzo, Lainey Landry, and Blakely McCrory, who all perished in the devastating flood.

Spanning 75 pages, the legal document accuses Camp Mystic and its proprietors of prioritizing profit over the safety of campers. It alleges that the camp chose to house young girls in areas prone to flooding to save on the costs associated with relocating cabins. Furthermore, the lawsuit states that the camp failed to establish or implement an evacuation plan, in defiance of state-mandated guidelines.

The lawsuit poignantly states, “A tragedy of this magnitude struck our state on July 4, 2025, when 25 campers and two counselors were needlessly and tragically swept away by floodwaters at Camp Mystic.”

In a photo taken on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, Camp Mystic is seen in Hunt, Texas. (Photo by Ashley Landis/AP)

Camp Mystic spans 725 acres along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country, an area long known for deadly flash floods. The filing cites a 1990 interview with then-director Richard Eastland, who reportedly told the Austin-American Statesman, “I’m sure there will be other drownings. People don’t heed the warnings.”

According to the lawsuit, the camp ignored multiple warnings — from weather alerts, staff concerns, and its own experience. Counselors allegedly pleaded to evacuate girls from low-lying cabins but were told to “stay put because that’s the plan.”

Aerial footage of Heart O’ the Hills in Kerr County, Texas after deadly flood. (Rep. Chip Roy via X)

TIMELINE DETAILED IN THE LAWSUIT:  

• 1:14 a.m. — National Weather Service issued a “life-threatening flash flood” warning.

• 1:45 a.m.–2:13 a.m. — Camp leaders Richard and Edward Eastland allegedly worked to move equipment instead of ordering an evacuation.

• 2:20 a.m. — Counselors reported water entering cabins but were instructed to remain inside.

• 2:30–3:30 a.m. — Five cabins were evacuated to the Rec Hall; six others were left behind, including Nut Hut, Chatter Box, Wiggle Inn, Giggle Box, Twins, and Bubble Inn.

• 3:35–3:51 a.m. — Richard Eastland’s SUV was swept away as he tried to rescue girls from Bubble Inn; all 13 campers and two counselors in that cabin drowned.

• 3:35–4:09 a.m. — Eleven campers died in Twins Cabin after being told to stay because “the water would go back down.”

A view inside 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. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images)

The petition argues that the girls could have safely evacuated within 60 seconds to higher ground if not ordered to remain in their cabins.

Families accuse Camp Mystic of gross negligence, premises liability, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The filing also highlights a written policy stating: “In case of flood, all campers on Senior Hill must stay in their cabins… All cabins are constructed on safe, high locations.”

The lawsuit also alleges that camp administrators misled families after the disaster, telling them the girls were merely “unaccounted for” hours after the floodwaters receded.

A search and rescue volunteer holds a T-shirt and backpack with the words Camp Mystic on them in Comfort, Texas on July 6, 2025.   (Danielle Villasana for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Adding to families’ anger, the lawsuit cites the camp’s decision to announce its reopening for the next summer season while one camper, Cile Steward, remained missing.

The families are seeking more than $1 million in damages, including wrongful death and exemplary damages, and have requested a jury trial.