State report finds cascading failures led to the tragedy at the Kerr County camp
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas lawmakers released a 115-page investigative report Thursday on the mishaps at Camp Mystic on July 4 last year that led to the deaths of 27 people.
The report was released just two weeks before the one-year mark of the deadly tragedy.
The entire report can be read at the bottom of this article, but here are some key takeaways.
Investigators concluded that Camp Mystic’s failures contributed to the deaths, including:
No state-compliant written emergency plans or assigned evacuation roles
Inadequate monitoring/response despite storm alerts
Failure to evacuate to higher ground despite hours of warning
Confiscating counselors’ phones without backup radios
Understaffing/insufficiently experienced counselors
Chaotic post-storm incident management and reunification that traumatized parents with conflicting information
Several of the concerns have been addressed through legislation and other changes, but more needs to be done to improve safety and emergency coordination overall, lawmakers said.
Lawmakers said that Thursday’s investigative report was specific to the Camp Mystic flood event, and the over 100 people killed in Kerr County have not been forgotten or overlooked.
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About the AuthorPatty Santos headshotPatty Santos
Patty Santos joined the KSAT 12 News team in July 2017.
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