Camp Mystic, located in West-Central Texas, opened its annual summer camp on June 15, 2025. They welcomed 200 campers and staff who were planning for a stay of four weeks. The camp offers many activities such as outdoor recreation, arts and crafts, and many other fun traditions that have lasted over 90 years. Parents put their children’s belongings in their cabins, helping them prepare for their stay, and said their goodbyes later that day.
Before leaving her daughter, CNN reported the moment when Carrie Hanna told her 9-year-old, “This is the safest place you could stay, but more importantly to make new friends.” She later stated in an interview, “I realize now that my daughter was not at all safe at this camp, she died.” Another mother reported, “Our precious, hilarious, kind, caring, silly, loving little girl who always wanted to help others, died because there was no plan, because there was no backup system or sirens, because the sweet 18 and 19-year-old counselors did not have the training they needed. Instead, they were told to stay in place, a rule that proved to be fatal.”
After thorough investigations, The Associated Press recorded that later discovered that most of the counselors were not trained properly on flood and flash flood response, communication protocols, and detailed evacuation drills.This led to confusion, for they weren’t prepared to handle the flood. The rainstorm began to brew around 2:00 AM, and started to rapidly rise at the Guadalupe River, and the water quickly made its way to Camp Mystic.
Shortly after, the flood hit the first Cabin, destroying everything in it, and causing campers to panic. As the flood started to move through the camp, campers looked to their counselors for help. They tried their best to climb onto higher surfaces such as trees and hills. But ultimately, the water was rising too fast. Campers who couldn’t reach higher surfaces would link arms in hopes of not getting swept away. Since it was the middle of the night, campers woke up to complete darkness and water surrounding them, which sent a sense of panic through their bodies and quickly woke up the whole camp.
The rain began to subside around 6:00 AM, and left nothing but devastation. There were 27 deaths, including campers and staff, in the very early morning of August 1, 2025. Some survivors were found in very critical condition, including treading water, on top of cabins, and on high tree branches. All survivors were brought to safety by late morning of August 1, but 27 individuals did not return to their homes that day, as the sudden flood at Camp Mystic claimed their lives. Families and the community are mourning the loss, while authorities work to ensure future camps have increased safety measures.
