AUSTIN, TEXAS — Camp Mystic owner Edward Eastland delivered a tearful apology to the families of 25 campers and two counselors killed in a July 4, 2025 flood during a legislative hearing in Austin on April 28, 2026. The hearing was the second day of a special inquiry by the joint Senate and House General Investigating Committee into the disaster at the all-girls Christian camp along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country.

"I think about the night of the flood every moment of every day. 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," Eastland said.

Four members of the Eastland family, whose family has owned the camp for 100 years, faced four hours of questions from Texas lawmakers. Eastland and his father, Richard Eastland, were on the campsite the night heavy rain caused a flood through the camp. The two, along with night watchman Glenn Juenke, worked to evacuate dozens of girls. Richard Eastland died in the flood. Edward Eastland survived after being swept into a tree.

Lawmakers questioned why the camp's PA system was not used to notify campers to seek higher ground as water levels rose. Eastland said the water was rising so quickly he was focused on evacuating the campers and did not think to go back to the front office to activate the system. On the first day of hearings, which took place before April 28, 2026, lawmakers heard that Camp Mystic had no written evacuation plan and did not conduct required safety drills with staff.

Legislative investigators noted the camp's previous lack of training as a critical problem that contributed to the deaths. "All of these things should have been being done in the first place," State Sen. Charles Perry said.

Investigator Casey Garrett, an attorney who said between 140 and 150 people were interviewed as part of the investigation, described the evacuation efforts during the flood as "mayhem." Members of the Eastland family said they found Garrett's findings fair and mostly accurate, except that the report did not describe how suddenly the water rose to historic levels.

Camp Mystic families were expected to testify later in the day on April 28, 2026. The camp's owners plan to reopen in late May 2026 using only parts of the camp that did not flood, and expect nearly 900 girls on campus that summer. Some prominent state officials have called for state regulators to deny or delay renewal of the camp's license, which is under review. The legislative panel does not control that review, and a written report of findings from the hearing is expected later in 2026. The Texas Legislature does not meet again until January 2027.