Camp Mystic sued by families, alleging ‘gross negligence’

The families of five campers and two counselors who died in the Fourth of July flooding at Camp Mystic have filed a lawsuit accusing the camp and its owners of gross negligence and reckless disregard for safety.  Filed in Travis County District Court, the lawsuit seeks accountability for what plaintiffs call an “entirely preventable tragedy” that claimed the lives of 27 campers and counselors, known collectively as “Heaven’s 27.”

Camp Mystic is located along a high-risk flood zone area along the Guadalupe River, also known as “Flash Flood Alley.”

The suit alleges that, despite the camp’s awareness of the danger, leaders failed to adopt required evacuation plans, ignored repeated weather warnings, and ordered campers to stay in their cabins as floodwaters rose.  The suit also claims leadership delayed evacuation efforts to protect equipment rather than lives.

The families suing include Warren and Patricia Bellows, parents of Anna Margaret Bellows; Blake and Caitlin Bonner, parents of Lila Bonner; Matthew and Wendie Childress, parents of Chloe Childress; Ryan and Elizabeth DeWitt, parents of Molly DeWitt; John and Andrea Ferruzzo, parents of Katherine Ferruzo; Ben and Natalie Landry, parents of Lainey Landry; and Lindsey McCrory, mother of Blakely McCrory; and the parents of Eloise “LuLu” Peck.

“Camp Mystic failed at its primary job to keep its campers and counselors safe, and young girls died as a result,” law company Yetter said in a statement.  “This action is about transparency, responsibility, and ensuring no other family experiences what these parents will now suffer the rest of their lives.”

The lawsuits seek actual and exemplary damages and call for stronger safety standards at youth camps across Texas.  “These young girls died because a for-profit camp put profit over safety,” according to one of the suits.  “The Camp chose to house young girls in cabins sitting in flood-prone areas, despite the risk, to avoid the cost of relocating the cabins.”

The following are statements from Camp Mystic and Legal Counsel Jeff Ray.

“We continue to pray for the grieving families and ask for God’s healing and comfort.”  Camp Mystic

“We empathize with the families of the campers and counselors and all families in the Hill Country who lost loved ones in the horrific and unprecedented flood of July 4.  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.”  Legal Counsel for Camp Mystic, Jeff Ray

The camp previously defended its decision to partially re-open next summer and says it will work with lawmakers investigating the flooding.  The parents of Cile Steward, 8, a camper who remains missing after the flooding, said they were “devastated” by Camp Mystic’s plans to reopen next year.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed legislation in September to strengthen camp safety, prohibiting cabins from being in dangerous parts of flood zones and requiring camp operators to develop detailed evacuation plans, among other things.