Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp where 27 people died in a devastating flood last July, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, court filings show. The move halts ongoing lawsuits filed by the families of the victims.
The petition triggers an automatic stay, which pauses legal actions, including lawsuits and wage garnishments, while the bankruptcy proceedings take place.
"Bankruptcy will not stop all responsible parties from being held accountable," said Paul Yetter, who represents multiple families of campers and counselors, in a statement. "These innocent girls deserve justice."
Families of the victims, who have dubbed the deceased "Heaven's 27," are suing the camp's owners, Mary Liz and Edward Eastland, accusing them of gross negligence. The disaster occurred on July 4 last year when the Guadalupe River overflowed, sweeping away the riverside camp. In total, 25 campers, two staff members, and an executive perished.
A report by investigators found the camp was unprepared for the flood and lacked appropriate emergency plans. Mary Liz Eastland later had her nursing license revoked by the Texas Board of Nursing, which found she abandoned campers during the flood. The board also faulted her for failing to develop and maintain adequate emergency plans and protocols. Edward Eastland admitted that more campers might have survived if he, his father, and the camp safety director had made quicker evacuation decisions. He also reportedly slept through a CodeRED text alert warning of dangerous flash floods.
The camp directors stated that the company's debt exceeds $10 million, with assets between $1 million and $10 million. In April, the Texas Department of State Health Services informed the Eastland family that the camp's emergency plan, submitted for license renewal, was insufficient under new rules for youth camps. Camp Mystic had previously announced it canceled plans to reopen portions of the camp for Summer 2026, citing ongoing grief and investigations.
Despite the tragedy, there were reports that the camp was preparing to reopen. Blake Bonner, whose parents were outraged by the possibility, told the Daily Mail in April, "I cannot fathom inviting hundreds of children to play in or around an active crime scene where 27 girls died just a year before."
More than 20 families are involved in the lawsuits. During hearings linked to a lawsuit filed by the parents of eight-year-old camper Cile Steward, whose body has not been found, camp officials admitted to missing flood warnings and lacking a detailed evacuation plan. Survivors reportedly only escaped because teenage counselors disregarded directives to stay inside cabins. A judge had previously renewed an injunction blocking the Eastlands from accessing the site where the deaths occurred, though the Eastlands appealed this decision.
Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp, has operated for nearly 100 years and has hosted daughters and descendants of prominent families, including former first lady Laura Bush and the daughters of President Lyndon B. Johnson.