Texas official asks state not to renew Camp Mystic’s license after tragic flood killed 25 campers: ‘It would be naive’
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Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick asked the Department of State Health Services on Monday to pause the renewal of Camp Mystic’s operating license for this summer until a full investigation is finished, following last year’s deadly flash flood that claimed the lives of 25 campers, two counselors and the camp’s director, Dick Eastland.
In a letter to DSHS Commissioner Dr. Jennifer Shuford, Patrick said the private, non-denominational Christian girls’ camp should have voluntarily suspended its 2026 summer operations. However, the camp appears to be accepting applications for the upcoming season and may seek Shuford’s approval to renew its license, which is set to expire March 6.
“Until these deaths are investigated and any necessary corrective actions are taken to ensure this never happens again, a camp license should not be issued to Camp Mystic,” Patrick wrote. “It would be naive to allow Camp Mystic to return to normal operations before all of the facts are known.”
Patrick’s letter states that 25 girls aged 8 to 10, two teenage counselors, and Eastland died in the July 2025 flood, which was triggered by a slow-moving thunderstorm over Texas’ “Flash Flood Alley”. The devastating flooding claimed more than 100 lives in the region.
He also criticized the camp’s website for failing to acknowledge the deaths or the ongoing search for one camper, while still listing Eastland as in charge.
Patrick said the Texas Legislature will hold a joint spring hearing on the floods, with the General Investigating Committees in Texas House and Senate meeting to determine if corrective actions are needed. He asked DSHS to delay Camp Mystic’s license renewal until the investigation and any necessary safety fixes are complete.
“As Lieutenant Governor, public safety is a top priority, and I cannot stay silent on this issue,” Patrick said. “DSHS shares the obligation to protect families and campers.”
Camp Mystic, however, maintains that its Cypress Lake location, separate from the flood‑affected Guadalupe site, meets current state safety standards and should not be denied a license.
“There is, consequently, no regulatory basis to deny Camp Mystic Cypress Lake its license… It’s a separate property that is not adjacent to the Guadalupe River and sustained no significant damage from the historic flood on July 4,” camp officials told KXAN in a statement.
The Guadalupe location isn’t reopening this summer, but it is located less than two miles from the Cypress Lake location, according to KXAN.
Attorneys Christina Yarnell and Bradley Beckworth, who represent Will and CiCi Steward in their lawsuit against the camp’s owners after their 8-year-old daughter died in the flooding, say both camp locations are essentially the same.
“The only difference is that one is completely ruined by the water damage. And one was on a little bit higher ground,” Yarnell said, according to KXAN.
Camp Mystic officials also told the outlet that they invited Patrick and other Texas leaders to visit its campsite in October 2025 to review the incident, but Patrick did not respond, according to the outlet.
“We would like to invite you and the members of the Committees to visit Camp Mystic at your convenience,” camp officials said at the time.. “Our family will always be available as a resource… we believe having each member of the Committee physically tour the Camp location is the best and only way to learn what exactly happened.”
