As devastating flash floods swept through the Texas Hill Country on July 4, 911 dispatchers received a series of urgent calls from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ sleepaway camp, reporting missing children and pleading for helicopter rescues. Callers described fears that campers might have drowned, with dozens unaccounted for and local roads washed away.
Twenty-eight people at Camp Mystic — including 25 campers, the camp’s owner and director, and two counselors — died after the Guadalupe River, which runs alongside the campground, rose rapidly amid heavy rain. In one call, a man reported a missing 7-year-old girl, saying, “Maybe potentially she’s drowned … They said they’re at Camp Mystic at the Guadalupe River.” The camp director also contacted 911, reporting that 20 to 40 people were unaccounted for.
A security guard described the dire situation, noting the loss of power and limited cell service. “There’s water all around us. We have no way of going in or out,” he said, urging for National Guard assistance and helicopter support. Other callers described similar conditions, including a woman with a severely injured 59-year-old who could not be reached due to flooded roads, and campers stranded at higher points on the property.
Local residents also helped rescue campers. One woman reported that two girls had floated down the river and were brought safely to her home, though the total number of missing children remained uncertain. Other residents called to check on friends and family at the camp, noting the urgency of air rescues as roads were impassable.
Nearby Camp La Junta, a boys’ camp about six miles away, also faced dangerous flooding. Staff and parents called 911 to report cabins partially underwater and collapsed structures, prompting dispatchers to send strike teams with boats. One caller said, “We are 100% trapped, hanging on to the rafters right now.” All campers, counselors, and staff at Camp La Junta survived.
In the aftermath, families of six children and two counselors who died at Camp Mystic filed lawsuits in November alleging negligence, citing the area’s reputation as “Flash Flood Alley.” The camp’s attorneys argued that the flood surge was unprecedented and that no warning systems could have prevented the tragedy.
Camp Mystic plans to reopen next summer with enhanced safety measures, including over 100 flood monitoring units along nearby waterways, early detection systems, hand-held two-way radios in cabins, back-up satellite internet, and higher-capacity generators to maintain power during emergencies. Activities will be held at a new location on Cypress Lake.
