The owners of Camp Mystic said on Thursday they will not welcome back campers this summer after the devastating floods that killed 28 people in central Texas last July continue to weigh on the minds of state officials concerned about the camp’s safety deficiencies in the event of an emergency.
The camp opted to withdraw its application for a renewed license that would have been issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The camp was previously scheduled to reopen on May 30.
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The demand to reopen for business was there, with Camp Mystic saying “over 800 girls want to return” next month. However, camp leaders thought reopening wasn’t the wisest decision.
“No administrative process or summer season should move forward while families continue to grieve, while investigations continue and while so many Texans still carry the pain of last July’s tragedy,” the statement reads.
In the early hours of July 4 last year, floodwaters rose rapidly without warning, resulting in a delayed evacuation. The casualties consisted of 25 young girls, two teenage counselors, and the camp’s executive director.
Two months before Camp Mystic’s decision to stay closed this year, Republican Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick urged the Department of State Health Services to reject the camp’s license renewal application “until all legislative investigations are completed and any necessary corrective actions are taken.”
Texas lawmakers were actively scrutinizing the camp’s safety and emergency plans and visited the summer camp as part of their investigation. Officials with the state health agency conducted a review, which concluded the camp’s current safety measures were not in compliance with requirements enacted by lawmakers last year. The agency identified more than 20 categories in which the camp fell short.
Patrick praised Camp Mystic’s decision to withdraw its application after the flood victims’ families gave “heartbreaking testimony” at the Texas State Capitol this week.
“Given the tragic circumstances, this is the correct decision to protect Texas campers and to allow time for all investigations to be completed,” he wrote on X.
An attorney for the families who are suing over the wrongful deaths of their children also celebrated the camp’s decision on Thursday.
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“Given the serious questions that remain, and out of respect for the families of victims, we believe the decision by Camp Mystic ownership to withdraw its application for a state license is proper,” legal counsel Sam Taylor said. “The families we represent are grateful that no other Texas family will hand their daughter over to Camp Mystic this summer. But until there is full accountability for what happened on July 4 and until there are real, enforceable safeguards for every child sent to a Texas summer camp, our work continues.”
As it remains closed for the upcoming season, the all-girls Christian summer camp turns 100 years old.
