HUNT, TEXAS — On September 25, 2026, Camp Mystic submitted a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization plan that includes putting 749 acres of land and other assets up for auction.

The proceeds from the sale would be placed into a trust for distribution to creditors. All creditors, including families who have filed lawsuits against Camp Mystic, will have the opportunity to respond to the proposal. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher M. Lopez must approve the plan. Families of the victims have initiated legal action to halt the demolition of damaged cabins and structures at the site.

Tim Ferguson, attorney for several victim families, stated, "The Eastlands are now attempting to determine the future of the Camp Mystic property, but the victims' families including my clients, will fight to protect their rights and ensure any sale is fair and transparent."

"The Bakers intend to continue fighting for answers, accountability and justice for their daughter," Ferguson said. No criminal charges have been filed in connection with the deaths at Camp Mystic.

A state legislative investigation found that camp counselors were not trained to respond to floods or other emergencies. The probe concluded that an earlier evacuation decision could have prevented all fatalities.

Why It Matters

The bankruptcy filing follows a deadly flood on July 4, 2025, that killed twenty-five campers and two counselors when the Guadalupe River overflowed. At least 136 people died along a several-mile stretch of the river during the disaster, with most victims under the age of 10. Richard Eastland, the camp’s owner and director, died in the same flood.

The timeline spans from 2023 to 2026, encompassing regulatory complaints, legislative investigations, and now a federal bankruptcy process. The outcome will determine whether the century-old camp continues its mission or if the property is repurposed, as creditors and families of victims pursue accountability through legal channels.

Timeline

On July 4, 2025, twenty-five campers and two counselors died when the Guadalupe River overflowed. The same flood claimed at least 136 lives along a several-mile stretch of the river. Richard Eastland, owner and director of Camp Mystic, died in the July 4, 2025 flood. Most of those killed were under age 10.

In early September 2026, state police sought search warrants for the electronic communications of the camp’s owners, stating such records could contain evidence of manslaughter, negligent homicide, child abandonment, or other criminal charges. On September 25, 2026, Camp Mystic filed a Chapter 11 reorganization plan. The filing clarified that the plan does not require any buyer to operate the property as a camp, but it states an express preference, in determining the highest or otherwise best bid, for a buyer that will maintain the historic mission of the camp.

What's New

Prior to the 2025 flood, the Texas Department of State Health Services had received at least three complaints about Camp Mystic’s emergency preparedness, including a 2023 report citing insufficient staff training for natural disasters. In 2024, the agency launched a new initiative to strengthen emergency readiness at youth camps, mandating staff training and routine inspections—requirements that were not fully implemented at Camp Mystic before the 2025 flood.

The Texas Department of State Health Services denied Camp Mystic a license to operate prior to the bankruptcy filing. Founded in 1916 as a Christian summer camp for girls, Camp Mystic operated continuously for over a century before the 2025 flood. A hybrid evidentiary hearing on the stay motions and governance motion is scheduled for October 9, 2026, by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Any new owner would need to secure a new license from the Texas Department of State Health Services to operate the camp. Camp Mystic is a century-old private non-denominational Christian girls' summer camp.