Camp Mystic Proposes Sale in Bankruptcy Amidst Legal Woes

The owners of Camp Mystic have proposed selling the riverfront property through bankruptcy proceedings, hoping a buyer will maintain the camp's "historic mission" after a devastating flood in 2025 claimed the lives of 27 campers and counselors.

The century-old private Christian girls' camp filed its Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization plan on Sept. 25. The plan involves auctioning the camp's 749 acres and other assets. The property, situated on the banks of the Guadalupe River, includes cabins that housed younger campers and a recreation hall near the river.

The Eastland family, which has owned the camp for decades, had initially aimed to reopen this summer. However, their efforts faced significant opposition from victims' families and some state lawmakers, leading to lawsuits and legislative investigations into the incident.

A potential buyer would acquire a property largely preserved in time, as families of the victims have contested any demolition or repair of damaged cabins and buildings that are part of ongoing lawsuits.

The bankruptcy filing states the owners anticipate a purchaser backed by a consortium of families who support the camp. The plan explicitly expresses a preference for a buyer committed to maintaining the camp's historic mission when evaluating the highest or best bid, though it does not mandate continued operation as a camp.

In the pre-dawn hours of July 4, 2025, the Guadalupe River surged over its banks, resulting in the deaths of 25 campers and two counselors. Camp owner and director Richard Eastland was also among the victims. This incident was part of a larger tragedy that claimed at least 136 lives along a several-mile stretch of the river.

Earlier in the month, state police investigators sought search warrants for the electronic communications of the camp's owners, citing potential evidence related to charges such as manslaughter, negligent homicide, and child abandonment. No charges have been filed to date.

A separate investigation by state lawmakers concluded that the camp's counselors, who were reportedly young and inexperienced, lacked adequate training for flood and other emergencies. The legislative probe suggested that an earlier evacuation order could have prevented all the fatalities. Most of the victims were under the age of 10, with some attending the camp for the first time.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher M. Lopez will need to approve the camp's bankruptcy proposal. Officials for Camp Mystic did not immediately respond to a request for comment. All creditors, including the families pursuing lawsuits against Camp Mystic over the deaths, will have an opportunity to respond to the plan. Tim Ferguson, an attorney representing the family of 8-year-old Mary Grace Baker, one of the deceased campers, stated that while the Eastlands are determining the property's future, the victims' families will contest to safeguard their rights and ensure a fair and transparent sale, with the Bakers seeking accountability and justice for their daughter.