The head of the Texas summer camp where 27 individuals perished in a tragic flood last year testified on Monday that he was unaware of official warnings issued the day before the storm and that the staff did not convene to discuss the imminent danger. Edward Eastland provided a detailed account of the camp’s actions as floodwaters surged along the Guadalupe River, trapping campers and counselors in cabins before being swept away on July 4, 2025. Eastland admitted that lives could have been saved if prompt action had been taken but claimed that the severity of the storm was unforeseeable.
During his testimony, Eastland acknowledged the absence of a comprehensive written flood evacuation plan at the Christian girls camp. He also mentioned that more campers could have survived if he, his father Richard Eastland (co-owner of the camp), and the camp safety director had made faster decisions to evacuate. The devastating storm claimed the lives of 25 girls aged eight to ten, two teenage female counselors, and Richard Eastland.
Cici Steward, whose eight-year-old daughter remains missing from the camp tragedy, called for the camp’s license to be revoked, citing their failure to ensure children’s safety. The flash floods in Texas resulted in the loss of at least 136 lives along several kilometers of the Guadalupe River.
In the civil lawsuit against Camp Mystic, Eastland revealed that he and other staff members were subscribed to an emergency warning system on their phones and utilized various weather apps. However, he claimed that he did not see flood watch alerts posted on social media by the National Weather Service and the Texas Department of Emergency Management on July 2 and 3. Eastland believed that the local “CodeRED” mobile alert system and weather apps available to staff were sufficient.
Despite a National Weather Service alert warning about heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding in the camp’s vicinity, Eastland stated that his father usually monitored weather conditions and that no meeting was held to discuss the alerts on the fateful day. The decision to evacuate cabins was made around 3 a.m. after his father noticed heavy rain and instructed moving equipment off the riverfront.
Witnesses recounted the harrowing events of that night, with one counselor describing the rapidly rising water and the chaotic attempts to seek shelter. Eastland emotionally shared his experience of trying to save campers before being swept away himself.
The ongoing legal battle between the camp owners and the victims’ families has brought to light the camp’s lack of preparedness and response to the disaster. The hearing will continue, with families demanding justice and accountability for the tragic loss of lives. Camp Mystic aims to reopen in a different, non-flood-prone location after seeking license renewal from state regulators, despite facing scrutiny and investigations into their operations.