Camp Mystic Flood Turns Tragic: 27 Dead, Dozens Still Missing
What began as a joyful summer session at Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp in Kerr County, Texas, quickly turned into one of the state’s deadliest flood disasters in years. Just before dawn on the Fourth of July, the Guadalupe River surged 26 feet in under an hour, sweeping through the campgrounds where more than 700 girls had been sleeping. At least 27 campers and counselors have been confirmed dead, and 10 others remain missing. The camp director, Dick Eastland, died trying to save the girls “he so loved and cared for,” his family said.
The flood hit fast and hard. The cabins, including those on higher ground, were overtaken by water. Survivors described waking up to chaos: military trucks, overturned trees, and rescue helicopters in the sky. Thirteen-year-old camper Stella Thompson said her cabin was “terrified” and started praying when they heard the lower side had flooded. First responders pulled girls from the water, while counselors helped kids in pajamas wade through neck-deep currents. “It didn’t look like Camp Mystic anymore,” Stella recalled.
More than 1,700 emergency responders, including Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan, rushed to the scene. Ruskan, on his first mission, helped evacuate over 160 people, staying on the ground to comfort shivering children asking about their missing friends. With at least 82 confirmed deaths across Texas and more rain forecast, Governor Greg Abbott warned the danger isn’t over yet. “Turn around, don’t drown,” he urged. Rescue efforts have shifted toward recovery, but families are still clinging to hope.
