HOUSTON – Camp Mystic says it has notified the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) that it is withdrawing its application for a Summer 2026 camp license, arguing that “no administrative process or summer season should move forward” while families grieve and investigations continue following “last July’s tragedy.”
In a statement, the camp said DSHS testimony this week acknowledged the agency’s legal obligations, but the camp is choosing to withdraw “rather than risk defending our rights under Texas law in a manner that may unintentionally effect [sic] further harm.”
EARLIER THIS WEEK: Camp Mystic director issues apology to victims’ families at investigative hearing
The camp noted that 28 people died, calling them “twenty-eight precious lives,” and said no decision can undo the loss felt by families, survivors, first responders, and the Kerr County community.
The camp also said more than 800 girls want to return to Camp Mystic Cypress Lake this summer and emphasized that its bond with families “does not change or end with the announcement.”
RELATED: Camp Mystic relied on teen counselors with no emergency training before flood, investigator says
Camp Mystic said the decision is intended to remove any doubt that it has heard concerns from grieving families, Texas House and Senate investigating committees, and Texans statewide, adding that “respect for those voices requires that we step back now.”
The camp said it will continue to cooperate with all ongoing investigations, comply with lawful requirements, and support recovery and healing efforts.
MORE FROM FAMILIES: ‘We sent her to camp, not a war zone’: Parents testify after Camp Mystic flood deaths
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