The tragic events at Camp Mystic in Texas, where a devastating flood claimed the lives of 25 young girls and two teenage counselors, have led to the filing of a lawsuit by the victims' families. The families assert that the camp's operators acted negligently in the face of the impending disaster, prioritizing profits over safety.
Filed in state court in Austin, the lawsuit seeks over $1 million in damages and accuses the camp of failing to implement essential safety measures as life-threatening floodwaters loomed. The camp, which is planning to reopen next summer, has faced renewed criticism from the families as the lawsuit unfolds.
Among the claims, the lawsuit highlights that while necessary evacuation measures were ignored, a groundskeeper was instead directed to remove equipment, leaving the campers at risk in their cabins near the Guadalupe River. Family members argue that young children were placed in flood-prone cabins intentionally to avoid costs associated with relocation.
These young girls died because a for-profit camp put profit over safety, the lawsuit states, contending that the camp's policies explicitly failed to prioritize camper safety, defying state regulations requiring an evacuation plan.
The defendants in the suit include Camp Mystic, its affiliated entities, and its owners, including the estate of late camp owner Richard Eastland, who also perished in the flooding.
A separate lawsuit has been initiated by the family of another camper, Eloise Peck, further amplifying calls for accountability.
The camp's catastrophe is part of a larger crisis, with at least 136 lives lost during the flood, sparking questions about adequate safety measures and emergency response protocols. As communities seek justice, the hope for reform in camp safety measures gains traction, aiming to prevent another tragedy in the future.
