Parents of last missing Mystic camper file lawsuit saying the disaster was preventable

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas — A Texas family has filed a lawsuit against the owners of Camp Mystic after a deadly flood last July killed 25 children and two counselors, including their eight-year-old daughter Cecilia ‘Cile’ Steward, who remains missing seven months later.

Will and CiCi Steward filed the legal action on Tuesday in Travis County, alleging that the camp’s owners, the Eastland family, were aware of the dangers posed by the camp’s location in “Flash Flood Alley,” a region prone to severe flooding. The lawsuit contends that the tragedy was preventable, not an “act of God,” as the camp has suggested.

The camp allegedly used the “Great Flood of 1932” as trivia for campers, yet failed to prepare for a repeat of it. The July 4, 2025, flood reached 37.52 feet, nearly identical to the 36.60 feet recorded in 1932.

According to the Stewards, the camp ignored warnings from the National Weather Service and state emergency officials in the days leading up to the flood. The lawsuit claims the camp’s safety protocols were dangerously inadequate.

Cile had been staying in the “Twins II” cabin in a low-lying area known as “the Flats.” Camp rules prohibited cell phones and required children to remain in their cabins during emergencies unless instructed otherwise. The Stewards allege that promised emergency communication systems, including a public address system and walkie-talkies, were never used, leaving children trapped as water rose near the ceiling.

The lawsuit also accuses the Eastlands of corporate negligence and a calculated cover-up.

The camp reportedly avoided safety regulations by not joining the American Camp Association and has since renovated the site, painting over flood marks and remodeling areas linked to the disaster. Meanwhile, the camp has already begun accepting deposits for the 2026 season.

Through the lawsuit, the Stewards are seeking damages for wrongful death and gross negligence. Their attorneys hope to hold the camp owners accountable and prevent future tragedies.

“This is about ensuring no family has to endure what we’ve gone through,” CiCi Steward said.

Mikal Watts, an attorney for Camp Mystic, says in a statement:

We empathize with the families of the campers and counselors and all families in the Hill Country who lost loved ones in the horrific and unprecedented flood of July 4. We are devastated by the deaths of our campers and counselors, and we continue to pray for God to comfort and support their families in their unfathomable grief.

We intend to demonstrate and prove that this sudden surge of floodwaters far exceeded any previous flood in the area by several magnitudes, that it was unexpected and unforeseeable, and that no adequate early warning flood systems existed in the area. We disagree with the misinformation in the legal filings regarding the actions of Camp Mystic and Dick Eastland, who lost his life as well. We will thoroughly respond to these accusations in due course.

In the meantime, we remain proud of the legacy of Camp Mystic and its role in forging strong, young Christian women across Texas and will endeavor to continue that role in the future while focused entirely on implementing a litany of new procedures and new technologies to make Camp Mystic and the community around us safe for all who come in the future.