Texas Judge Preserves Flood Site at Camp Mystic Amid Lawsuit

Court limits changes to site of deadly flooding

EL CAJON, Texas — A Texas judge declined Wednesday to fully close Camp Mystic, the site of a deadly July 4 flood in the Texas Hill Country last year, but ordered that key areas of the camp be preserved while litigation moves forward.

State District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble granted a temporary injunction preventing the all-girls summer camp along the Guadalupe River from altering or remodeling structures where campers were housed during the flooding.

The ruling came during a hearing in a packed Travis County courtroom. The request for the injunction was filed by Will and CiCi Steward, whose 8-year-old daughter, Cecilia “Cile” Steward, died during the disaster.

Gamble also ordered that the old Guadalupe grounds — where the fatal flooding occurred — be sealed off. The order covers the commissary, the recreation hall and the camp’s main office. Areas outside those grounds may continue construction.

The judge’s order will remain in effect while the lawsuit proceeds.

Flooding Killed Dozens at Camp and Across Region

The July 4 flooding in Kerr County killed 25 girls, two counselors and the camp’s owner when rising water swamped Camp Mystic along the Guadalupe River.

More than 130 people across the region died in the broader disaster.

Cile Steward was among those killed. Her body has not been recovered, according to court testimony.

The Stewards filed a lawsuit against the camp’s owners and asked the court to prevent the site from reopening this summer. They also sought to halt remodeling and construction while evidence at the camp is preserved.

In their court filing, the Stewards said preserving the site is necessary to determine what happened during the flood.

“This application for injunctive relief seeks to preserve the status quo and protect material evidence bearing on how and why Cile Steward lost her life while entrusted to Defendants’ care,” their filing said.

Testimony Describes Camp Conditions

During Wednesday’s hearing, Edward Eastland, director of the Guadalupe camp at the time of the disaster, testified as a witness for the defense.

Eastland said some buildings at the camp have already been repaired or remodeled.

He also testified about conditions during the night the flooding began. According to his testimony, cabins did not have walkie-talkies, and although the camp had security cameras, no one was monitoring the video feed at the time.

Attorneys Respond to Judge’s Decision

Brad Beckworth, the Stewards’ attorney, said the court granted the restraining request largely as filed.

“Our application for a restraining order was granted in its entirety,” Beckworth said after the hearing. “The only limitation at all to it is how we’re going to deal with commercial activity on the other side of the camp.”

He added that the court’s ruling means the Guadalupe River portion of the camp will remain closed while evidence is reviewed during the legal process.

Will Steward said preserving the site is important for families seeking answers.

“It was important to know that the judge understood and the court understood that what we’re trying to do is preserve the evidence that’s there so we can understand, so future campers will never be put in a situation like this again,” he said.

Camp Plans to Operate Separate Location

Mikal Watts, an attorney representing Camp Mystic and the Eastland family that owns the camp, said he supported the judge’s ruling.

“She agreed that the evidence of the Guadalupe River should be preserved, just like we offered to,” Watts said.

He said the camp is working on separating the Guadalupe River property from another camp area known as Cypress Lake.

Watts said 853 campers had already registered to attend this summer at the Cypress Lake location.

Camp Mystic previously said it plans to reopen that site and has taken steps to improve safety, including installing flood monitoring units.

The camp said the Cypress Lake property is not located next to the Guadalupe River and did not suffer major damage during the July 4 flooding.