After the July floods that claimed 25 campers and 2 counselors, Camp Mystic is preparing to reopen, sparking debate among families, lawmakers, and survivors.
Camp Mystic’s Reopening Plan
The 100-year-old all-girls Christian retreat plans to open its doors again in January, with enrollment set for May. Campers will now be housed on higher ground, above the area where fast-rising waters on the Guadalupe River swept away two cabins.
The camp’s owners sent a letter to families this month: “We recognize that returning to Camp Mystic carries both hope and heartache,” the owners wrote. “For many of your daughters, this return is not simple, but it is a courageous step in their healing journey.”
A spokesperson said there is “strong interest” in the new enrollment, though the exact number of returning girls remains unclear.
Families’ Mixed Reactions
Patrick Hotze, whose three daughters survived the floods, said he intends to send them back. “My heart is broken for them,” Hotze said of parents whose girls died, including some he described as close friends. “I think it’s different for each kid and each family.”
Some parents see the reopening as a vital part of their healing. Others view it as insensitive. Parents of six girls who died said, “As parents of children who were killed at Camp Mystic last summer, we are deeply hurt but, sadly, not shocked by yet another insensitive announcement from Camp Mystic focused on enrollment.”
Liberty Lindley, whose 9-year-old daughter Evie survived a cabin evacuation, said Evie didn’t hesitate to return. “I know some people don’t understand that or think that’s crazy,” Lindley said.
John Ball, an attorney whose daughter was at the camp during the flood, expressed serious reservations. He said he was out of town and didn’t learn his daughter was safe until more than 12 hours after the flooding. “That was the hardest part, not knowing,” Ball said. “I think we’re going to take this year off and see how it goes and what these changes look like that they’re implementing, and we’ll go from there.”
Safety Upgrades and Legal Context
Dick Eastland, the camp’s owner who died in the flood, and his family have pledged to enhance safety before reopening. Planned upgrades include:
- Two-way radios in every cabin
- New flood-warning river monitors
Texas legislators will hold investigative hearings next year, but the state has shown little appetite to assign blame. Local leaders in Kerr County, including two who were asleep when waters began rising, remain in their positions after defending their preparations and evacuation efforts. They are steering a slow recovery while working to implement a new flood-warning system.
Lawsuits filed by some families allege the camp failed to protect children and ordered girls and counselors in cabins closest to the river to stay inside as floodwaters overwhelmed the property. Hundreds of 911 calls released by authorities this month included a woman who lived a mile downriver and said two of the campers had swept by.
An attorney for Camp Mystic, Mikal Watts, said he and camp officials have contacted former campers who witnessed previous floods. Those witnesses told him the flooding this year was “nowhere near as high or as powerful” as past events.
Personal Stories of Survival
Evie was trapped in a cabin called Wiggle Inn, adjacent to the low-lying cabins that were quickly inundated. Many of the girls she knew were swept to their deaths. Evie survived by floating on mattresses with her friends in the pitch dark before evacuation by helicopter. She expressed a desire to return: “I still really want to be Bert.”
These individual accounts underscore the emotional complexity surrounding the camp’s reopening.
Key Takeaways
- Camp Mystic plans to reopen in January, with campers arriving in May on higher ground.
- Families are divided; some see reopening as healing, others view it as insensitive.
- Planned safety upgrades include two-way radios and new flood-warning monitors.
- Lawsuits and investigative hearings reflect ongoing legal and political scrutiny.
The debate over Camp Mystic’s reopening highlights the challenges of balancing hope, safety, and accountability after a devastating natural disaster.
