AUSTIN, TX — One of my managers Camp MysticA Christian camp for girls along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country offered a tearful apology Tuesday to the families of 25 camp participants and counselors. Killed in a flood in 2025.
“We did our best that night,” said Edward Eastland, a member of the family that owns the 100-year-old camp. “It was not enough to save your girls.” “I’m very sorry.”
Eastland’s apology came as dozens of the girls’ family members sat a few feet behind him during the second day of a special legislative hearing to look into the devastating July 4 flood. A written report of the findings is expected later this year.
Eastland said he and his father, Richard Eastland, were at the campsite that night, and that they made a desperate attempt to rescue the girls when they realized torrential rains had caused a raging flood that had swept through the camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River. Richard Eastland died in the flood and Edward only survived after crashing into a tree.
“These girls (who died) were our youngest campers and amazing counselors that we watched grow up,” Eastland said. “The world was a better place with them in it, and anger at us for not being able to keep them safe is entirely reasonable.”
Brett Eastland, another director, said the camp will train counselors and conduct drills for campers to prepare for floods, fires, hurricanes and intruders. Legislative investigators on Monday He cited the previous lack of training at the camp as a serious problem that contributed to the deaths.
“All of these things should have been done in the first place,” Senator Charles Perry said.
Camp Mystic families are expected to testify later in the day.
Camp Mystic owners Want to reopen In late May, they said they would only use the parts of the camp that had not flooded. They expect to have approximately 900 girls on campus this summer. The plans have angered the victims’ families, and some prominent state officials have called on state regulators to deny or delay the renewal of the camp’s license, which is under review.
The Legislature will not meet again until January 2027, and the commission does not control Camp Mystic’s license review.