Camp Mystic’s owner filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, nearly a year after catastrophic floods in Texas Hill Country resulted in the deaths of 25 girls, two teenage counselors, and the camp’s longtime director. The camp, an all-girls Christian summer retreat, cited total debts ranging from $10 million to $50 million. According to the filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of Texas in Houston, the camp’s total assets are between $1 million and $10 million.
The owners and operators have encountered significant criticism over their handling of the devastating July 4 floods of last year. A recent report from state investigators harshly criticized the camp for its inadequate emergency planning, storm preparation, evacuations, and incident management. “The lessons to be learned from the camp’s inadequate emergency planning and response are worthy of careful study for opportunities to avoid similar future tragedies,” the authors stated in the report’s introduction.
The chaos of evacuating the camp primarily fell on three individuals: the camp’s co-owner, his son, and a security guard. Richard “Dick” Eastland, the co-owner, lost his life during the floods. In late April, Camp Mystic officials retracted their application to reopen the camp for the summer. This decision followed a tense legislative hearing attended by parents of the deceased girls.
Camp Mystic acknowledged the loss of “precious lives” in a statement at the time. The withdrawal of their reopening application aimed to demonstrate that the camp leaders had “heard the concerns expressed by grieving families, members of the Texas House and Senate investigating committees, and citizens across our state.” The camp stressed the importance of respecting these voices.
In November, families of the victims filed a lawsuit accusing camp operators of failing to take appropriate measures as floodwaters rose towards the campgrounds. They are seeking more than $1 million in damages. Sarah Foss, the global head of legal and restructuring at Debtwire, explained that the bankruptcy filing temporarily pauses lawsuits against the camp. “Whether those lawsuits ultimately proceed in the bankruptcy court or the courts where they are pending, victims’ families will be treated as creditors who must seek compensation from a limited pool of money in the bankruptcy case rather than through individual jury verdicts,” Foss elaborated in an email.
The bankruptcy filing, consisting of eight pages, was signed by four members of the Eastland family who own Camp Mystic. The court document lacked detailed information about the camp’s finances. Martin A. Sosland, identified as the debtors’ attorney, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The floods last July claimed at least 136 lives along the Guadalupe River in Texas Hill Country. Cecilia “Cile” Steward, an 8-year-old camper at Camp Mystic, remains missing.
Leave a Reply