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Owner of an all-girls summer camp in texas The Hill Country, where 25 campers and two teen counselors died in a devastating July 4 flood, announced plans Tuesday for new safety upgrades that will go into effect when a portion of the camp opens next summer.
Camp Mystic owners say in a letter to parents that they plan to pass new camp safety laws Legislature And signed by the Texas government. greg abbott Following devastating floods, which killed at least 136 people and washed away homes and vehicles.
“We are preparing for next summer at Camp Mystic Cypress Lake and we know that safety is of utmost concern to all of you, as it is to us,” the Eastland family wrote in a letter to parents of Camp Mystic campers. “We thank Paradise 27 Families and our state leaders for passing laws to help make camps safer, and our goal is to not only comply with the new camping safety laws, but exceed their requirements.”
The children and counselors who died are known as the “Heaven’s 27”. The owners of Camp Mystic include the wife and other family members of Dick Eastland, who also died in the flood.
Enhanced safety measures at the camp include four flood warning river monitors designed for early detection of high water events, two-way radios in each cabin capable with national weather alerts, and high-capacity generators to maintain power in critical areas of the camp, including the office and dining hall.
“We recognize that returning to Camp Mystic brings both hope and heartache,” the Eastland family said in the letter. “For many of your daughters, this return has not been easy, but it is a courageous step in their healing journey.”
The Eastland family announced in September that it planned to build a memorial to the girls who died in the flood and to reopen Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, an isolated property that is not adjacent to the Guadalupe River and was not damaged in the July 4 flood. That plan was sharply criticized by some victims’ families, who said they were never consulted about the plans for Camp Mystic.
“Promoting reopening less than three months after the tragedy – while a camper is missing – is unimaginable,” CCI and Will Steward, whose 8-year-old daughter Syl Steward died in the flood and whose body has still not been recovered, wrote Camp Mystic officials when their reopening plans were first announced.
The families of several girls who died in the flood have sued Camp Mystic and Eastlands in state court, alleging that camp operators failed to take necessary steps to protect campers as floodwaters reached life-threatening levels.
Camp Mystic plans to offer six different 10-day sessions in 2026, starting on May 30 and ending on August 9. They also plan to offer tours of camp in April for enrolled campers, counselors and their parents.