Camp Mystic’s Controversial Reopening: Ignoring Lessons, Igniting Pain
Camp Mystic’s decision to reopen parts of its Texas camp after deadly floods that claimed 27 young lives raises serious accountability questions as families demand justice and prioritization of safety over profits.
The tragic flooding at Camp Mystic in Texas last July, which claimed the lives of 27 young campers and counselors, was no accident but a catastrophic failure of planning and oversight. Yet despite this devastating loss, the camp’s owners are moving forward with plans to reopen a portion of the facility next summer—an action that many victims’ families argue is premature, insensitive, and emblematic of a disturbing disregard for safety and accountability.
How Can We Trust Camp Mystic After Such Preventable Tragedy?
The area along the Guadalupe River where all the victims were swept away will remain closed. However, Camp Mystic intends to reopen the undamaged Camp Mystic Cypress Lake section next year while complying with new state safety laws enacted after last summer’s disaster. But does partial compliance suffice when lives were lost due to what families call “pure complacency” by camp operators?
Families like those of Chloe Childress and Cile Steward—the only missing child still not recovered—feel betrayed. The Steward family expressed deep disappointment that reopening plans advance without thorough consultation or addressing their urgent priority: finding Cile’s remains. How can inviting children back to swim near a potentially still-dangerous river reflect common-sense conservatism or respect for human dignity?
Accountability Must Precede Business as Usual
This tragedy was far from an act of God; it was a failure in preparation and response. Blake Bonner, whose daughter died in the floods, spoke truthfully about systemic failure: “It was a 100% preventable failure.” Yet instead of taking full responsibility or committing to transform safety culture fully before reopening, Camp Mystic appears poised to resume operations with mere regulatory adherence.
The families’ fight led to crucial legislative reforms mandating better emergency plans, worker training, warning systems, and prohibiting cabins in flood-prone zones—a victory for national sovereignty where state governments protect citizens without federal micromanagement. Governor Greg Abbott’s swift signing of these measures signals leadership aligned with America First values: protecting American children through common-sense policies.
Other camps nearby are also adapting responsibly under these new laws but appear more sensitive to tragedy’s lessons than Camp Mystic’s owners.
For hardworking American families who entrust camps with their children’s safety each summer, such reckless reopening plans undermine trust and security. Washington may be absent here, but local accountability and moral obligation must fill the void—how long will we let bureaucracy rubber-stamp business interests over innocent lives?