My operators Camp Mystic In Texas, where 25 teenage girls and mentors died Catastrophic floods on July 4thThe authorities failed to take the necessary steps to protect the campers as floodwaters approached, threatening their lives, the families of the victims alleged in a lawsuit.
The lawsuit filed Monday in state court in Austin seeks damages in excess of $1 million but does not specify the exact amount. It was introduced as Camp Mystic sparked renewed outrage from the families of several victims Regarding reopening plans 100-year-old camp next summer.
Among the allegations in the lawsuit is that a groundskeeper was directed to spend more than an hour evacuating equipment while girls and counselors at cabins closest to the Guadalupe River were ordered to remain there, even when floodwaters inundated the property.
The lawsuit was filed by the families of five campers and two counselors who died.
“These young girls died because the for-profit camp put profit over safety,” the lawsuit states. “The camp chose to house the young girls in cabins sitting in flood-prone areas, despite the risks, to avoid the cost of moving the cabins.”
The suit also alleges that camp operators chose not to make plans to safely evacuate campers, despite state rules requiring such plans, and instead ordered campers and counselors to remain in their cabins as a matter of policy.
The defendants named in the suit include Camp Mystic, its affiliated entities and owners, including the estate of camp owner Richard Eastland, who also died in the flood, and members of his family.
A separate lawsuit with similar claims was filed Monday by the family of Eloise Peck, a Camp Mystic resident who died in the flood. Both lawsuits were filed in Travis County.
Camp Mystic’s attorney said in a statement that they sympathize with the families who lost loved ones in the flood, but disagree with “the many accusations and misinformation” in the legal filings.
“We intend to prove and prove that this sudden rise in flood waters far exceeded any previous flooding in the area by several degrees, that it was unexpected and that there were inadequate warning systems in the area,” said Jeff Ray, legal counsel for Camp Mystic.
the Campers and counselors were killed When fast-rising floodwaters roared through a low-lying area of summer camp before dawn on the Fourth of July. In total, the devastating floods killed at least 136 people. Raise questions About how things went so wrong.
The county leaders were Asleep or out of town. The head of Camp Mystic had been tracking the weather beforehand, but it was now unclear whether he saw it or not Urgent warning In the immediate aftermath, a spokesman for the camp’s operators said the National Weather Service had issued an emergency alert to phones in the area.
The camp, established in 1926, was not evacuated and was hit hard when the river rose from 14 feet (4.2 m) to 29.5 feet (9 m) within 60 minutes.
Ryan DeWitt, whose daughter Molly DeWitt was one of the campers killed in the floods, said in a statement that the lawsuit is a step toward helping the family find peace.
“We are confident that through this process, light will be shed on what happened, and we hope that justice will pave the way for much-needed prevention and safety reform,” DeWitt said.
Death of campers and counselors Painful testimony From their parents to Texas legislators, it led to Series of new laws Designed to prevent similar tragedies in the future.