Haunting Photo of Camp Mystic Girls Days Before Texas Floods
Tragic Flooding Claims Lives of Camp: Dozens of Young Girls and Counselors Die
Starting June 29, a group of 13 young girls and two counselors gathered in a cheerful scene at the “Bubble Inn” cabin during their stay at Camp Mystic, a well-known Christian summer camp for Texas families.
Within days, the celebration turned into tragedy as flash floods swept through the area. The devastating storm caused the Guadalupe River to surge 20 feet in just minutes, drowning the nearby cabins and trapping campers and staff.
Rescue efforts recovered 10 young girls, aged 8 and 9, along with 18-year-old counselor Chloe Childress, who was trying to save the girls. Sadly, three girls and counselor Katherine Ferruzzo, 19, remain unaccounted for. Many of the victims were staying in cabins close to the riverbank, some as near as 225 feet.
The floodwaters rose rapidly after a powerful storm dumped what would normally be a month’s rainfall in a two-hour span. Inside the camp, water left a muddy trail, with belongings and mattresses scattered, and walls marked with water lines indicating how high the flood reached.
The camp, which hosts 750 girls and has been a fixture for some families in Houston, Dallas, and Austin, now faces the somber reality of losing 27 people, with a total death toll across the region reaching 95.
Inside the Tragedy
- The dead include young girls from the flatlands cabins, with some inside a nearby cabin, the Handy Hut, almost submerged when the flood struck.
- Among those confirmed dead is the camp’s owner, Richard “Dick” Eastland, who attempted to rescue campers but was overwhelmed by the rising waters. His body was later found along with the bodies of three girls inside a parked SUV.
- Photos depict the aftermath—mud-covered interiors, scattered belongings, and cross marks on walls as memorials to those lost.
The tragedy struck a harsh blow to the community, with survivors recalling the terrifying swirl of floodwaters around the cabins and the chaos of rescue attempts. Counselor Childress is remembered for her courageous act of trying to save her charges, embodying selflessness and dedication.
