Camp Mystic pulls plan to reopen this summer after backlash from grieving families

Camp Mystic announced Thursday it volition not reopen its installation for the summertime 2026 season, marking a large displacement successful betterment plans pursuing a catastrophic flood that killed 27 radical past year.  

Officials said the calamity near 25 campers and 2 counselors dormant astatine the all-girls Christian campy successful Hill Country, Texas. Director Richard Eastland besides died during abstracted rescue efforts, according to the family-owned camp.  

The camp’s determination to driblet its bid to reopen successful May comes conscionable days aft the manager broke down successful a tearful apology astatine a authorities proceeding that drew an outcry from lawmakers and grieving families implicit the effort to resume operations, according to the Associated Press (AP).

In a statement, leaders said they would alternatively not prosecute different play than hazard causing further harm to the affected families. 

CAMP MYSTIC DIRECTOR DIES WHILE TRYING TO SAVE KIDS DURING TEXAS FLOODING

Debris covers the country of Camp Mystic successful Hunt, Texas, July 7, 2025, aft a flash flood swept done the area. (AP Photo/Eli Hartman)

"No administrative process oregon summertime play should determination guardant portion families proceed to grieve," the campy said. 

"This determination is intended to region immoderate uncertainty that Camp Mystic has heard the concerns expressed by grieving families, members of the Texas House and Senate investigating committees and citizens crossed our state. Respect for those voices requires that we measurement backmost now."

REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN REUNITES WITH DAUGHTERS AFTER TEXAS CAMP FLOODING, THANKS ‘COUNTLESS HEROES’

This aerial photograph shows harm to Camp Mystic from flash floods on the Guadalupe River, successful Hunt, Texas, July 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

They further expressed their sympathy for everyone impacted by past year’s disaster, adding that they recognize determination is thing they tin bash to reverse the harm oregon easiness the symptom caused.  

"Twenty-eight precious lives were lost. We admit that nary connection and nary determination tin undo that nonaccomplishment oregon easiness the load carried each time by parents, siblings, loved ones, survivors, archetypal responders and our beauteous Kerr County community. We besides admit that implicit 800 girls privation to instrumentality to Camp Mystic Cypress Lake this summer. Our peculiar enslaved with our Camp Mystic families does not alteration oregon extremity with the announcement," the connection read. 

A presumption wrong a compartment astatine Camp Mystic, the tract of wherever astatine slightest 20 girls went missing aft flash flooding successful Hunt, Texas, connected July 5, 2025. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images)

Owners of the campy antecedently said they hoped to reopen successful precocious May, expecting 900 attendees, and were readying to usage lone parts of the installation that did not flood, The AP reported.

The plans subsequently sparked important outrage from victims’ families and immoderate salient officials, who urged regulators to contradict the camp’s license, which was nether reappraisal by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

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During a legislative proceeding earlier this week, lawmakers heavy scrutinized the camp’s relation successful the disaster, citing inadequate operations, delayed responses to flash flood warnings, and insufficient exigency grooming for counselors, according to The AP. 

They further pressed the directors connected whether they were genuinely prepared, citing authorities regulators’ findings that alleged 22 deficiencies successful the camp’s exigency plan.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.