Camp Mystic Owners Express Regret Amid Austin Hearing Crisis

Camp Mystic Owners Apologize as Hearings Resume in Austin

The second day of legislative hearings into the deadly July 4, 2025 floods at Camp Mystic unfolded Tuesday in Austin as an emotionally charged, marathon session — one that stretched roughly eleven hours and featured a tearful apology from the family that owns the Hill Country girls’ camp, pointed questioning from lawmakers, and renewed calls to block the camp from reopening this summer.

Edward Eastland, a director of Camp Mystic — the all-girls Christian camp along the Guadalupe River — offered a tearful apology to the families of the 25 campers and 2 counselors killed in the flood, with dozens of grieving family members sitting just feet behind him. “I think about the night of the flood every moment of every day,” Edward said. “We tried our hardest that night and it wasn’t enough to save your daughters.”

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Edward’s father, Richard Eastland, was the camp’s executive director and died in the flood. Edward himself survived only after being swept into a tree. Facing the families of the dead, Edward acknowledged the weight of their grief. “The world was a better place with them in it,” he said, “and the anger at us for not being able to keep them safe is completely reasonable.”

The four Eastlands — Edward, his wife Mary Liz, and brothers Britt and Richard — were questioned by lawmakers for approximately four hours. All four conceded to lawmakers that they were not prepared for the flood and did not evacuate girls early enough. Britt Eastland said no one had previously questioned their plan for girls to remain in their cabins during floods. When asked by committee co-chair Rep. Morgan Meyer whether the camp was not prepared for the tragedy and whether it failed to call a timely evacuation, the Eastland family responded “no” to both questions — a striking answer that drew further scrutiny.

The panel pressed the Eastlands on why they didn’t make a last-ditch effort to use the camp’s PA system to order an evacuation. Edward said it simply didn’t occur to him — every minute was spent trying to reach the next cabin.

Survivors’ families delivered gut-wrenching testimony throughout the day.

“Mommy, she was just a few trunks away from me. I should have saved her. I should be dead instead.”

A mother’s testimony from conversations with her daughter who survived the flood at Camp Mystic has many members of the General Investigation Committee on the verge of tears, and… pic.twitter.com/HN4mmuWC8C
— Vinny Martorano (@VinnyMartorano) April 28, 2026

Julie Sprunt Marshall, an Austin surgeon, told lawmakers her 9-year-old daughter McKenzie eventually realized no more adults were coming to rescue her as floodwaters rose around her bunk. McKenzie was swept roughly a mile downriver before landing in a debris pile and being rescued by a family living along the Guadalupe. Marshall urged lawmakers to prevent the Eastland family from reopening, saying their prayers were “not an appropriate safety plan.”

CiCi Steward, whose 8-year-old daughter Cile remains unaccounted for nearly a year after the flood, also addressed the Eastlands directly, telling them: “Walk away. Tend to your flock. Own your trauma.”

The mother of the only girl still missing from the July floods at Camp Mystic, CiCi Steward, calls out the Eastland family as they plan to reopen Camp Mystic on May 30.@cbsaustin pic.twitter.com/DGeoMuAICT
— Vinny Martorano (@VinnyMartorano) April 28, 2026

“My 8 year-old would have fared better going by her own instincts rather than trusting the adult who failed to evacuate her.”

“A daycare with 27 dead children, and this evidence already on record, would have already been closed.

“Do not let this camp reopen on the schedule and… pic.twitter.com/f6hGLbMx4q
— Vinny Martorano (@VinnyMartorano) April 28, 2026

The question of whether Camp Mystic can reopen loomed over every moment of the proceedings. The Eastlands have announced plans to welcome nearly 900 girls to their Cypress Lake property — a site separate from where the deaths occurred — as early as late May. But that plan faces significant headwinds. Last week, the Texas Department of State Health Services found deficiencies across 22 separate categories in the camp’s current safety procedures, giving it 45 days to correct its emergency plans.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has been among the most vocal opponents of any reopening. In a letter to DSHS Commissioner Jennifer Shuford, Patrick wrote that it would be “naive” to allow the camp to return to normal operations before all the facts are known, urging her not to renew Camp Mystic’s license until the legislative investigation concludes and any necessary corrective actions are taken. Patrick publicly stated he is asking the agency not to renew the license, and not to put the seal of approval of the State of Texas on a family that, in his view, failed the children in their care.

After two days of heartbreaking testimony, including from the Heaven’s 27 families, who lost their daughters at Camp Mystic, and from investigators, it’s clear that Camp Mystic was totally unprepared, understaffed, complacent, incompetent, and lacking an evacuation plan.

It's…
— Office of the Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (@LtGovTX) April 29, 2026

Several lawmakers echoed that sentiment, saying there was sufficient evidence to “hit the pause button” on the camp’s license. Sen. Charles Perry declared that the legislature would support “whatever it takes to shut them down as soon as possible.” However, DSHS Commissioner Jennifer Shuford and her staff said they did not believe the agency has the legal or statutory authority to suspend a camp’s license.

Despite everything, the Eastlands said they intend to open. Britt Eastland said he believes Camp Mystic’s broader community will ultimately “be glad we had camp this summer.” Whether the state — or the courts — will permit that remains an open and deeply contested question.

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A written report from the joint House and Senate investigating committees is expected later this year.

Sources:

The Texas Tribune — “Camp Mystic director apologizes to families of campers, counselors who died in flood” by Emily Foxhall (April 28, 2026) texastribune.org
KSAT 12 (San Antonio) — “WATCH LIVE: Texas lawmakers to return for Day 2 of public hearings on deadly Hill Country floods” (April 28, 2026) ksat.com
Community Impact — “Live updates: Parents eulogize Camp Mystic victims; lawmakers urge health officials to suspend camp’s license” (April 28, 2026) communityimpact.com
Spectrum News / AP — “Camp Mystic director offers tearful apology to victims’ families during legislative hearing” (April 28, 2026) spectrumlocalnews.com
Community Impact — “Live updates: Mother urges Texas to revoke Camp Mystic’s license as her daughter remains missing” (April 28, 2026) communityimpact.com
CBS News Texas — “Texas lawmakers hear emotional testimony on Camp Mystic failures during deadly July floods” (April 27, 2026) cbsnews.com/texas
Houston Public Media / Texas Tribune — “Texas legislators investigating July 4 floods to hold first hearings” (April 27, 2026) houstonpublicmedia.org
The Texas Tribune — “Camp Mystic counselors lacked training, Texas lawmakers told” by Emily Foxhall (April 27, 2026) texastribune.org
Houston Public Media / Texas Tribune — “Dan Patrick seeks to block Camp Mystic’s summer reopening pending inquiry into July 4 flood deaths” (February 23, 2026) houstonpublicmedia.org
KVUE / KENS 5 — “Lt. Gov. Patrick pushing to block Camp Mystic from reopening” (March 2026) kvue.com / kens5.com

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