Camp Mystic Files for Bankruptcy After Tragic Floods

On Wednesday, the owner of Camp Mystic filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. This comes nearly a year after devastating floods in Texas Hill Country resulted in the death of 25 girls, two teenage counselors, and the camp’s longtime director.

According to the filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of Texas in Houston, the all-girls Christian summer camp declared debts ranging from $10 million to $50 million. Meanwhile, their total assets fall between $1 million and $10 million.

Camp Mystic’s owners have faced intense scrutiny due to their handling of the July 4 floods last year. A critical state report released earlier this month faulted the camp for inadequate emergency planning, storm preparation, and incident management.

The authors noted the importance of learning lessons from the camp’s inadequate response to prevent similar future tragedies.

The report described the evacuation efforts as shouldered by only three individuals: the camp’s co-owner, his son, and a security guard. Richard “Dick” Eastland, the co-owner, tragically perished in the floods.

In late April, Camp Mystic officials retracted their application to reopen this summer following an emotionally charged legislative hearing attended by grieving parents. The camp acknowledged the loss of precious lives in a statement, emphasizing their decision to step back in respect to voiced concerns from families and state officials.

In November, victim families filed a lawsuit against the operators, accusing them of not taking appropriate action as floodwaters rose. The families seek over $1 million in damages.

Sarah Foss, from the financial services company Debtwire, explained that the bankruptcy filing temporarily pauses these lawsuits. Families will now pursue compensation as creditors in the bankruptcy case rather than through jury verdicts.

The bankruptcy filing, eight pages long, was signed by four members of the Eastland family, who have owned Camp Mystic for nearly a century. The document lacks detailed financial information about the camp.

Martin A. Sosland, the debtors’ attorney, did not immediately respond to a request for comments.

Last July’s floods along the Guadalupe River claimed at least 136 lives in Texas Hill Country. Among the missing is Cecilia “Cile” Steward, an 8-year-old camper at Camp Mystic.