Camp Mystic’s Communications Fails During Hill Country Floods, Investigator Testifies AUSTIN, Texas – Criminal Attorney Casey Garrett testified Monday that Camp Mystic’s emergency communication system failed during the deadly July 2025 Hill Country floods, describing the camp’s response as a “failure” that endangered campers. Garrett, appearing before the Senate General Investigating Committee, highlighted systemic shortcomings in the camp’s preparedness, including inadequate training for staff, outdated emergency protocols, and a culture that normalized flooding as a routine occurrence. The testimony marked the first public hearing into the disaster, which claimed the lives of several children and sparked calls for accountability. Garrett’s investigation revealed that the Eastland family, which owns Camp Mystic, was aware of the flood risks long before the July 4 floods. Emails presented during the hearing showed Dick Eastland, a former camp director, referencing historic floods in 1978, 1984, and 2000, suggesting the family had a documented history of dealing with water-related emergencies. Despite this, Garrett argued that the camp’s emergency plan did not meet state code requirements at the time of the disaster. The plan addressed disasters and accidents but failed to account for epidemics, fatalities, or evacuation procedures. Campers were instructed to stay in cabins during emergencies, but no clear evacuation protocols existed. One of the most critical failures, according to Garrett, was the lack of communication tools. Counselors and staff were told to rely on loudspeakers and walkie-talkies in case of power outages, but none of the counselors had access to these devices.#camp_mystic #casey_garrett #eastland_family #sen_jose_menendez #hill_country_floods
Parents Urge Texas Committee to Block Camp Mystic Reopening After July 4 Flood Grief and anger over the deadly July 4 flood that killed 27 children and counselors at Camp Mystic flooded the Texas Capitol on Tuesday night as parents demanded state lawmakers prevent the camp’s reopening and deny its license renewal. The emotional testimony came during an investigative hearing before the General Investigative Committee, where families of victims shared harrowing accounts of the disaster that unfolded last year. The Eastland family, which operates the camp, sat nearby as parents recounted the trauma of the event and called for accountability. The hearing focused on the future of Camp Mystic, which had been granted a temporary license to operate its Cypress Lake location after the July 4 flood. Parents argued that the camp’s history of safety failures made it unfit to reopen. Bolton Walters, a parent of a victim, stated, “A daycare with 27 dead children and this evidence already on record would have already been closed.” CiCi Steward, the mother of a missing camper, emphasized the need for permanent closure, saying, “No camp will be safe for any child as long as the Eastlands are associated with it.” The parents described the catastrophic flood that overwhelmed the camp’s facilities, leaving children and staff stranded. Malorie Lytal, a parent of a victim, detailed the horror of her child’s death: “As her cabin filled with flood waters, she was left to fend for herself, and washed miles downriver to die the most horrific, gruesome death.” Steward accused the camp’s leadership of prioritizing profit over safety, declaring, “Those lies of safety, preparedness, and readiness caused the greatest mass casualty event involving children in the history of the state.#camp_mystic #texas_capitol #general_investigative_committee #eastland_family #cypress_lake
