Four members of the Eastland family faced four hours of questions from Texas lawmakers investigating Camp Mystic’s handling of the July 4, 2025 flood. The family’s testimony came on the second day of hearings held by the joint Senate and House General Investigating Committee.
“I think about the night of the flood every moment of everyday, we tried our hardest that night and it wasn’t enough to save your daughters. We are devastated alongside you. I regret not communicating more with each of you earlier, and I am sorry,” said Edward Eastland
Edward Eastland was with his father, Dick Eastland, and night watchman, Glenn Juenke, as the trio worked to evacuate dozens of girls during the flood. His brother, Richard, defended their father’s decision not to evacuate the girls sooner, telling lawmakers weather warnings and radar weren’t accurately portraying what was happening on the ground.
Dick Eastland died while trying to evacuate campers.
“When I say my dad was in the dark looking for that information, he couldn’t find it, because the radar wasn’t showing it, the National Weather Service wasn’t showing it and the gauges that were upstream of us on the south fork (of the Guadalupe River) were no longer in service,” said Richard Eastland.
On the first day of hearings, lawmakers heard testimony Mystic had no written evacuation plan and did not conduct safety drills with staff, which is required by law.
Lawmakers also questioned the Eastlands as to why the camp’s PA system was not used to notify campers to seek higher ground as the water levels began to rise.
Edward Eastland said the water was rising so quickly he was focused on evacuating the campers and didn’t think to go back to the front office to activate the system.
An investigator hired by the committee, Houston attorney Casey Garrett, described the evacuation efforts during the flood as “mayhem.” Garrett said between 140-150 people were interviewed as part of the investigation.
Members of the Eastland family said they found Garrett’s findings fair and mostly accurate. The main point of dispute was no description of how suddenly the water rose to historic levels.
Edward Eastland’s wife, camp co-director and medical director, Mary Liz Eastland, was questioned as to why she still has not reported the 27 deaths to the Texas Department of State Health Services(DSHS) as is required by law.
“Have you reported the 27 deaths to the Department of State Health Services as required by code?” asked State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst/(R) Dist. 18.
“No ma’am, I have not,” said Mary Liz Eastland.
Kolkhorst expressed a measure of surprise at that answer and and again asked Mary Liz Eastland to “report the 27 deaths, adhere to the law, please adhere to the law.”
Lawmakers also questioned why a list of activities submitted with Camp Mystic’s license application included campers using the Guadalupe River.
Richard Eastland said that was a mistake due to an old activity list being submitted with the licensing packet. Richard Eastland said her recently took over the license application process for Cmp Mystic and assured lawmakers they have no plans to use the Guadalupe River this summer.
“I really regret it, because I did not mean to cause that trauma and I did not intend for anyone to believe we were going to use the Guadalupe for this summer,” said Richard Eastland.
Kolkhorst and State Sen. Charles Perry/(R) Dist. 28 were blunt in expressing their skepticism about the Eastlands reopening Mystic’s Cypress Lake location by May 30th.
DSHS recently sent Camp Mystic a letter outlining 22 deficiencies in the emergency plan submitted this year. Edward Eastland said they’ve addressed those issues and will be resubmitting their emergency plan to the state by tomorrow.
“We’re talking May 30th, this is April 28th, you have 22 deficiencies, you haven’t reported the 27 deaths required by law,” said Kolkhorst. “In light of everything I just pointed out, do you really think you’re ready to take on 500 children, plus?”
Kolkhorst pointed out other licensed facilities that care for children have lost licenses over a single death. Perry was more direct, telling the Eastlands he does not believe they should continue operating Camp Mystic. Perry further clarified he believes the camp can continue operating, just not with the Eastlands at the helm.
“There’s a point where the consequences of not doing your job is so significant and so consequential that you don’t have the privilege of running a business that you were prior to,” said Perry. “If you all are left as an operator in any form or fashion, what deterrent does that send to another operator that I can have kids die on my watch and still be an operator?”
“I think we’re willing to take a step back, if camp can go on. That’s OK with us, we are willing to step back and take a pause,” said Perry.
Following the Eastlands’ testimony, lawmakers heard from the head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, Chief Nim Kidd. He told lawmakers camps must have a written plan, an incident command structure and regular safety drills.
Families of children who survived also testified. Julie Sprunt told lawmakers her nine year old daughter was swept a mile downstream during the flood.
“All of our daughters were awake in those cabins with enough time to be evacuated. Our daughters were told to stay in place, they waited, they obeyed the Eastland family’s instructions,” said Sprunt, who also attended Camp Mystic as a child. “Had these 8-year old girls and their counselors been allowed to run for their lives, there were many safe places to go, we all grew up at that camp, we knew those safe place.”
Another mother, Charlee Johnson, also shared her 11-year old daughter’s experience during the flood. Johnson said her daughter was in Jumble House and was told to walk to Rec Hall at 3am, she survived.
Johnson said after her daughter told the family what happened, she realized the evacuation was “chaos.”
“In fact, they were not evacuated, instead they were left to navigate the darkness themselves. 10 years old, 3 am, darkness, rushing water. No child should have to navigate themselves to safety under these conditions,” said Johnson.
Her daughter’s experience prompted Johnson to help create Safety Navigator, which assists youth camps in implementing the new, stricter state laws.
The hearing is ongoing and lawmakers are expected to hear from officials with DSHS about the licensing and inspection process.