The operators of Camp Mystic in Texas are facing a lawsuit filed in state court, claiming negligence that resulted in the deaths of 25 girls and two teenage counselors during catastrophic flooding on July 4. Families allege the camp failed to implement necessary safety measures as life-threatening floodwaters approached, and instead directed staff to focus on evacuating equipment while ignoring the safety of the campers in cabins near the Guadalupe River.
The lawsuit, filed on Monday in Austin, is seeking over $1 million in damages and highlights how many of the victims' families are outraged at plans for the camp to reopen next summer. It specifically points out that a groundskeeper was allocated over an hour to manage equipment, indicating a serious lack of prioritization for camper safety.
These allegations focus on the management's decision to keep the campers in cabins located in flood-prone areas to save on the costs associated with relocating them. Under state rules, the camp was required to have a safety evacuation plan in place but failed to act on this requirement, disregarding the imminent danger posed by the flooding.
Defendants named in the lawsuit include the camp itself, its affiliated entities, and members of the Eastland family, whose patriarch Richard Eastland also died during the flooding.
As frustration mounts, another separate lawsuit has emerged from the family of Eloise Peck, another camper who was a victim of the tragic events. These lawsuits come in the wake of the destruction caused by the flood which resulted in 136 fatalities, prompting investigations and new legislative measures aimed at enhancing safety in outdoor camps across Texas.
The camp, which has a history dating back to 1926, faced severe scrutiny as it had failed to execute any effective evacuation strategy, ultimately leading to a swift and deadly rise in river levels from 14 feet to 29.5 feet within an hour. The victims' families hope that these legal actions will shed light on the events leading to the tragedy and drive necessary changes to prevent a recurrence of such a disaster.
The lawsuit, filed on Monday in Austin, is seeking over $1 million in damages and highlights how many of the victims' families are outraged at plans for the camp to reopen next summer. It specifically points out that a groundskeeper was allocated over an hour to manage equipment, indicating a serious lack of prioritization for camper safety.
These allegations focus on the management's decision to keep the campers in cabins located in flood-prone areas to save on the costs associated with relocating them. Under state rules, the camp was required to have a safety evacuation plan in place but failed to act on this requirement, disregarding the imminent danger posed by the flooding.
Defendants named in the lawsuit include the camp itself, its affiliated entities, and members of the Eastland family, whose patriarch Richard Eastland also died during the flooding.
As frustration mounts, another separate lawsuit has emerged from the family of Eloise Peck, another camper who was a victim of the tragic events. These lawsuits come in the wake of the destruction caused by the flood which resulted in 136 fatalities, prompting investigations and new legislative measures aimed at enhancing safety in outdoor camps across Texas.
The camp, which has a history dating back to 1926, faced severe scrutiny as it had failed to execute any effective evacuation strategy, ultimately leading to a swift and deadly rise in river levels from 14 feet to 29.5 feet within an hour. The victims' families hope that these legal actions will shed light on the events leading to the tragedy and drive necessary changes to prevent a recurrence of such a disaster.
