Retirement

Texas Camp Reopening Sparks Controversy, Yet Some Families Eager to Revisit

December 30, 2025 • By gsswpadmin

Patrick Hotze’s three daughters returned home safely from Camp Mystic after the devastating floods in July that tragically claimed the lives of 25 campers and two teenage counselors. Having attended some of the funerals, Hotze empathizes with the outrage surrounding the Texas camp’s decision to partially reopen next year.

Despite the tragedy, he plans to send his daughters back to the camp.

“My heart is broken for them,” Hotze expressed, referring to the parents of the deceased, some of whom he considers close friends. “I think it’s different for each kid and each family.”

For the first time since the catastrophic flood, the century-old all-girls Christian sleepaway retreat is set to begin enrollment in January, moving forward with a reopening that has sparked division among families and astonishment among lawmakers. Campers are expected to arrive in May, staying on higher ground than the area where the Guadalupe River’s rapid rise swept away two cabins.

Some families view the decision to allow their daughters to return as a crucial step in their healing process following the disaster, which remains under investigation. The floodwaters, which surged with alarming speed during the July Fourth holiday weekend, resulted in at least 117 fatalities in Kerr County alone. Among the victims, two remain missing, including an 8-year-old camper from Camp Mystic.

Promises of Extra Safety and Preventive Measures

Next year, Texas legislators are scheduled to conduct investigative hearings regarding the tragedy, though there appears to be little inclination to assign blame. Local leaders in Kerr County, including two who were asleep when the waters began to rise, continue in their roles after defending their emergency preparations and evacuation efforts. They are now focused on a slow recovery while working to expedite a new flood warning system before campers return.

“We recognize that returning to Camp Mystic carries both hope and heartache,” the camp’s owners wrote in a letter to families this month. “For many of your daughters, this return is not simple, but it is a courageous step in their healing journey.”

While it remains uncertain how many girls will return to Camp Mystic when enrollment opens next month, a spokesperson indicated there is “strong interest.” The camp’s owner, Dick Eastland, tragically lost his life in the flood, but his family has committed to enhancing safety measures before reopening, including installing two-way radios in every cabin and new flood warning river monitors.

The catastrophic July floods were not the first to impact the area known as “Flash Flood Alley,” where limestone hills rapidly collect water and funnel it into narrow riverbanks. This year marked at least the fifth time in a century that flooding near the Guadalupe River has resulted in fatalities. Mikal Watts, an attorney for Camp Mystic, noted that camp officials have reached out to former campers who experienced previous floods, and they reported that this year’s flooding was unprecedented in its severity.

Outrage and Acceptance

However, these reassurances have not quelled the concerns of some parents of the 27 victims, who argue that the decision to reopen is insensitive and that the Eastland family has not taken responsibility for their failures. Lawsuits filed by some families allege that camp operators failed to protect the children and even instructed girls and counselors in the cabins closest to the river to remain inside as floodwaters overwhelmed the property. Hundreds of 911 calls released this month included a woman living a mile downriver who reported seeing two campers swept away.

“As parents of children who were killed at Camp Mystic last summer, we are deeply hurt but, sadly, not shocked by yet another insensitive announcement from Camp Mystic focused on enrollment,” stated the parents of six girls who perished.

Conversely, some parents believe Camp Mystic has played a vital role in their children’s personal and spiritual growth, which has influenced their decision to allow their daughters to return. Liberty Lindley’s 9-year-old daughter, Evie, was among those caught in the flooding, trapped with her campmates in a cabin known as Wiggle Inn, adjacent to the low-lying cabins that were quickly inundated.

Many of Evie’s friends were swept to their deaths. Yet, despite the horror she experienced—floating on mattresses in the dark before being evacuated by helicopter—Lindley shared that her daughter didn’t hesitate when asked if she wanted to return to Camp Mystic.

“I know some people don’t understand that or think that’s crazy,” she reflected on her decision to allow Evie to go back. Lindley recalled a conversation with Evie while washing her hair in the bathtub shortly after the traumatic event. “She thought she was going to see her sister that night in heaven,” Lindley remembered. “And she still looked at me with a smile and said, ‘Mom, I really hope next year at camp we do Mary Poppins again, because I still really want to be Bert.’ That was just hours after the fact.”

Some Parents Remain Unsure

Not all parents, however, are ready to send their daughters back to Camp Mystic. John Ball, an attorney from McAllen, Texas, whose daughter was at the camp during the flood, expressed serious reservations, particularly regarding the inadequate communication from camp officials about his daughter’s safety.

Ball recounted that he was out of town and didn’t learn his daughter was safe until more than 12 hours after the flooding, when she managed to borrow a cellphone to call him. “That was the hardest part, not knowing,” he said.

“I think we’re going to take this year off and see how it goes and what these changes look like that they’re implementing,” he concluded, “and we’ll go from there.”

Photo: A Camp Mystic sign is seen near the entrance to the establishment along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas, July 5, 2025, after a flash flood swept through the area. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)