Deadly Floods Devastate Texas Camp Mystic

Richard “Dick” Eastland, longtime co-owner and director of Camp Mystic in Texas, died while trying to rescue campers during catastrophic flash floods. Eastland, a beloved figure who taught fishing and mentored girls at the private Christian camp he and his wife Tweety have run since 1974, was confirmed dead by family. Tweety was found safe. The floods have killed at least 43 people statewide; at least four young campers are confirmed dead and 23 girls from the camp remain missing. About 750 campers were on site when the flooding began. Eastland, a brain cancer survivor and active community member, was remembered by former campers as a caring, fatherly presence.

Camp Mystic, a nearly 100-year-old Christian girls’ camp on the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas, experienced catastrophic flooding on Friday, leaving at least 20 campers missing. The camp, which hosts about 750 girls and has been family-run since the 1930s, reported losing power, water, and Wi-Fi and said access was hampered by a washed-out highway as it assisted search-and-rescue efforts. Parents circulated photos and accounts of dramatic rescues, including girls clinging to trees or drifting to a nearby boys’ camp, Camp La Junta, which reported all campers safe. Another nearby girls’ camp, Heart o’ the Hills, was not in session. Camp Mystic, established in 1926, is known for its Christian mission and traditional activities like archery, cheerleading, and fishing.

Eleven people — ten campers and one counselor — remain missing after severe flooding hit Camp Mystic, a girls’ camp near Hunt, Texas, according to the Kerr County sheriff. Many of the missing were staying in low-lying “Flats” cabins less than 500 feet from the Guadalupe River, while senior campers’ cabins sit higher on “Senior Hill.” The camp spans two nearby sites along the Guadalupe River and Cypress Creek and has long-standing stone buildings dating to the 1920s–30s. Around 750 girls were attending this session. Downstream, river levels surged to at least 29 feet on Friday, the second-highest on record and well above the 10-foot flood stage, causing significant damage to camp structures.

At least 81 people were killed in catastrophic flash flooding along the Guadalupe River in Central Texas, with the toll expected to rise as rain persists and debris hampers rescue access. Eleven people from Camp Mystic—10 girls and one counselor—remain missing. Among the confirmed dead: - Jeff Wilson, 55, a beloved Houston-area high school teacher and former rodeo cowboy, died while camping with his wife Amber and 12-year-old son Shiloh, who are still missing. - Tanya Burwick, 62, was swept away while driving to work near San Angelo. - Chloe Childress, 18, a recent Kinkaid School graduate and Camp Mystic counselor, died while helping others. - Dick Eastland, longtime director of Camp Mystic, was killed reportedly while rescuing campers. - Julian Ryan, 27, died in his Ingram trailer home after being severely cut trying to break a window to save his family; his partner, mother, and children survived. - Sisters Blair, 13, and Brooke Harber, 11, from Dallas’s St. Rita Catholic Community, died when their cabin washed away; their grandparents are missing, and their parents survived. - Katheryn Eads, 52, also died after being swept away, her husband said. Volunteers and rescuers continue desperate searches on treacherous terrain, with communities holding vigils and prayer services for victims and the missing.