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The families of five Camp Mystic campers and two counselors who died during the July 4 flooding filed a lawsuit against the camp on Monday, alleging that camp officials’ failure to evacuate the camp caused their children’s deaths.
More than 130 people died throughout Central Texas during the disastrous July 4 floods, including 25 campers and two counselors at Camp Mystic, who their families call “Heaven’s 27.”
The lawsuit, filed in Travis County district court, comes after months of scrutiny aimed at Camp Mystic’s response to the flooding and the placement of several of its cabins in a floodplain.
“We carry the memory of our daughter in everything we do. This legal step is one of honoring her, and we believe that truth and justice are essential to finding peace — not only for our family, but for every family affected,” Ryan DeWitt, the father of 9-year-old Molly DeWitt, said in a statement.
Camp Mystic parents were at the forefront of efforts during this year’s special legislative sessions to impose stricter regulations on summer camps, and they highlighted both state regulatory gaps and Camp Mystic’s flawed evacuation plan as points of failure amid the historic flooding.
Mikal Watts, the attorney for Camp Mystic, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Many of the camps along the Guadalupe River have announced they would reopen in 2026 for the next summer season, including Camp Mystic. That announcement also drew ire from the parents, who said the move was premature and that they were not consulted about the construction of a memorial for their children the camp intended to build.
The lawsuit described the memorial as the camp using the children as a “recruiting tool.”