Daijiworld Media Network – Austin

Austin, Feb 24: Families of nine victims of last summer’s catastrophic flooding in Texas have filed a federal lawsuit against the state, alleging officials failed to enforce safety rules requiring an evacuation plan at Camp Mystic, where 27 campers and counsellors lost their lives.

The civil suit, filed Monday in US District Court in Austin, names the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and six of its officials. It claims the department violated the victims’ constitutional right to “life and bodily integrity” by approving the camp’s licence despite its alleged failure to maintain a mandatory evacuation plan.

The nine victims represented in the lawsuit include seven young campers and two teenage counsellors attending the Christian summer camp. According to the complaint, the absence of a clear evacuation plan led to confusion and panic among staff as floodwaters surged on July 4, delaying rescue efforts “until it was too late.”

“They died because the camp had no plan to evacuate the riverside cabins where the girls slept,” the lawsuit states, alleging that the camp’s policy discouraged evacuation during floods.

Among those who perished were 25 girls aged between 8 and 10, two teen counsellors, and camp owner Richard “Dick” Eastland, 70. More than 100 people died in the near 100-year flash flooding that struck the Texas Hill Country, including areas along the Guadalupe River.

The camp announced in December that it intends to reopen this summer at its newer Cypress Lake site, which it described as independent from the older Guadalupe River property where the tragedy occurred.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has urged DSHS Commissioner Jennifer Shuford to withhold renewal of the camp’s 2026 licence until legislative investigations are completed. Camp Mystic’s current youth camp licence expires on March 31.

In response, Camp Mystic stated that its Cypress Lake facility complies with new state camp safety laws and argued there is “no regulatory basis” to deny its licence, emphasising that the property is not adjacent to the Guadalupe River.

The lawsuit further alleges that DSHS inspectors “systematically ignored required safety rules” and permitted camps to operate with any form of emergency plan, even if it did not include evacuation procedures.

Plaintiffs’ attorney Paul Yetter said the legal action seeks accountability and aims to prevent similar tragedies in future. “We filed this lawsuit to expose another failure that led to these tragic deaths — and to keep other children who attend Texas camps safe,” he said.

One camper, 8-year-old Cecilia “Cile” Steward, remains missing following the devastating floodwaters that swept through campsites and communities northwest of San Antonio.