Four lawsuits representing multiple families were filed this week against Camp Mystic over the July 4 flood that killed 27 people, alleging the Texas camp ignored repeated warnings and evacuation alerts.
Timothy and Melissa Peck of Dallas filed a wrongful death lawsuit on November 10 in Travis County District Court, seeking over $1 million in damages for the death of their 8-year-old daughter, Eloise “Lulu” Peck.
The suit marks escalating legal action against the Hill Country camp, where 25 campers and two counselors drowned when flash floods swept through riverside cabins.
According to the petition, Camp Mystic’s owners “played Russian roulette with the lives of little girls” by housing children in flood-prone cabins, despite being aware of the risks since 1932. The Eastland family, which has operated the camp for three generations, allegedly sought to remove floodplain designations from FEMA maps rather than relocate structures.
“This was not an unforeseeable act of nature,” attorney Randy Howry said in a statement, per Fox 26. “What happened at Camp Mystic was preventable, and no parent should ever endure the pain of sending their child to a place of safety only to face tragedy.”
The lawsuit claims that the camp received multiple flood warnings on July 3 and 4, including a flash flood alert at 1:14 a.m. Instead of evacuating, camp officials allegedly instructed counselors and campers to “stay in their cabins” as the water rose and power failed.
“Camp Mystic had no plan, no training, and no urgency,” the petition reads. “The result was chaos, darkness, and unimaginable fear for children left alone as floodwaters tore through their cabins.”
Eloise Peck was housed in the Bubble Inn cabin, which FEMA maps indicate is located within the Guadalupe River’s floodway. The petition notes that nearby Mo-Ranch successfully evacuated 70 people during the same storm.
“Today is a difficult but necessary step for our family,” said Tim Peck, Lulu’s father, Fox 26 reported. “We’ve chosen to pursue legal action not out of anger, but out of love for our child, and for the truth and justice she deserves.”
The filing reveals that former camp director Richard “Dick” Eastland previously served on the Upper Guadalupe River Authority. Despite this river management expertise, the camp allegedly operated without modern flood detection equipment or emergency training. Eastland died in the same July 4 flood while attempting to rescue some campers from the rising waters.
Camp Mystic issued a brief statement on Monday: “We continue to pray for the grieving families and ask for God’s healing and comfort.”
Legal counsel Jeff Ray disputed the allegations, saying, “We intend to demonstrate and prove that this sudden surge of floodwaters far exceeded any previous flood in the area by several magnitudes, that it was unexpected and that no adequate warning systems existed in the area.”
Another lawsuit was filed on behalf of the families of Anna Margaret Bellows, Lila Bonner, Chloe Childree, Molly DeWitt, Katherine Ferruzzo, Lainey Landry, and Blakely McCroy. The suit alleges that Camp Mystic put “profit over safety” and violated Texas law, which requires camps to have written evacuation plans and to train their staff in evacuation procedures.
“We carry the memory of our daughter in everything we do,” Ryan DeWitt, Molly’s father, said in a statement, per Fox 7. “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.”
The family of 9-year-old Ellen Getten filed a separate lawsuit. Each of these lawsuits seeks damages exceeding $1 million.
On Tuesday, Lanier Law Firm announced a fourth wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the families of six victims of the deadly flood: Virginia “Wynne” Naylor, Hadley Hannah, and Jane “Janie” Hunt, all from Dallas, Lucy Dillon of Houston, Kellyanne Lytal of San Antonio, and Virginia Hollis of Bellville. The suit outlines a “devastating timeline” of negligence by Camp Mystic’s management. This lawsuit does not specify a damage amount.
“This case is about accountability,” said attorney Mark Lanier, per Fox 4. “These six families entrusted Camp Mystic with the lives of their 8-and 9-year-old daughters, but the owners failed in every conceivable way. Unfortunately, it is now apparent that litigation is the only way to implement the changes to assure that no other child dies from the same preventable failures.”
Founded in 1926 near Hunt, Texas, Camp Mystic sits in an area known as “Flash Flood Alley.” The tragedy has prompted state and local reviews of youth camp safety protocols throughout the Hill Country.
More lawsuits may be filed as additional families seek accountability for the deadliest camp disaster in Texas history.
In September, Camp Mystic announced that it would be open for business again next summer, although the side of the camp near the Guadalupe River, where the flooding occurred, will remain closed. Campers will be housed in the Cypress Lakes section, which was not significantly damaged during the July 4 flood.