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The twisted remnants of the Camp Mystic disaster expose the grim aftermath of the deadly 2025 floods.Austin Today
Texas health regulators and the Texas Rangers are investigating hundreds of complaints related to last year’s devastating floods at Camp Mystic that killed 27 girls, as the state considers whether to allow the all-girls Christian camp to reopen this summer. The investigations come as the camp’s owners push ahead with reopening plans over objections from victims’ families, who have also filed lawsuits alleging the camp failed to protect campers.
Why it matters
The probe into alleged neglect at Camp Mystic highlights the challenges the camp faces in trying to reopen after the deadly 2025 floods, which killed 27 girls and two counselors. The investigations could determine whether the camp is allowed to operate again and may uncover systemic issues that contributed to the tragedy.
The details
Texas health regulators told Camp Mystic’s owners they are investigating hundreds of complaints about the camp’s operations during the summer of 2025, when the devastating floods occurred. The Texas Rangers have also joined an investigation into claims of neglect during the incident. The floods struck the camp without warning, killing 25 girls and two teenage counselors after the river rose over 15 feet in just an hour. Lawyers for victims’ families have sued the camp, arguing officials failed to protect campers, while the camp says it has cooperated with all investigations.
The floods struck Camp Mystic on July 4, 2025.Texas regulators said they have received ‘hundreds of complaints’ about the camp since February 2026.
The players
Camp Mystic
An all-girls Christian summer camp in Texas that was devastated by floods in 2025, resulting in the deaths of 27 campers and counselors.
Texas Department of State Health Services
The state agency investigating hundreds of complaints about Camp Mystic’s operations in 2025.
Texas Department of Public Safety
The state agency that said the Texas Rangers have joined an investigation into claims of neglect at Camp Mystic during the 2025 floods.
Cile Steward
An 8-year-old camper whose body has not yet been recovered after the 2025 floods at Camp Mystic.
Richard Eastland
One of the owners of Camp Mystic who was killed in the 2025 floods.
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What they’re saying
“The Texas Rangers joined an ‘investigation regarding complaints of neglect’ during the flood.”
— Texas Department of Public Safety
“We have cooperated with every investigative request we have received, including with lawmakers. We worked closely with the Rangers immediately after the floods and will continue to do so.”
— Camp Mystic
“The Rangers’ involvement is a ‘criminal investigation’ and the state should not grant the camp a license to reopen until that probe and another one by state lawmakers are complete.”
— Dan Patrick, Texas Lt. Gov.
What’s next
The investigations by state regulators and the Texas Rangers will determine whether Camp Mystic will be allowed to reopen this summer, as the camp’s owners hope to do. Families of the victims have also filed lawsuits against the camp, which a judge has ordered to preserve damaged areas of the grounds as those cases proceed.
The takeaway
The tragic 2025 floods at Camp Mystic have sparked multiple investigations into alleged neglect and mismanagement at the camp, underscoring the challenges it faces in trying to reopen and the need for accountability over the deaths of 27 young campers and counselors.