Lower than three months after devastating floods tragically killed 27 individuals at Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas, the camp introduced it can reopen in 2026, with a number of households — together with the mother and father of an 8-year-old woman who remains to be lacking after the floods — criticizing this determination.
“To advertise reopening lower than three months after the tragedy — whereas one camper stays lacking — is unthinkable. Our households stay trapped within the deepest throes of grief, but your communications deal with our unending nightmare as little greater than a quick pause earlier than resuming enterprise as traditional,” CiCi and Will Steward, the mother and father of lacking Cile Steward, wrote in a letter addressed to camp management on Wednesday.
Camp Mystic, a Christian ladies’ summer season camp situated on the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas, was hit with devastating floods on July 4, killing 27 campers and counselors in the midst of the evening. Some state leaders and environmental consultants told ABC News in July that quite a lot of the cabins had been in identified flood zones and shut proximity to the river, based on officers and FEMA’s street maps.
Cile Steward, 8, has been lacking because the floods hit Camp Mystic on July 4.
Steward household
The summer season camp made the announcement on Tuesday that Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, a sister web site that opened in 2021, will likely be open in summer season 2026, whereas Camp Mystic Guadalupe River won’t be able to reopen by then because of the devastating injury sustained earlier this yr. The announcement of the partial reopening was emailed on Sept. 22 to households enrolled within the 2025 camp.
In a press release to ABC Information, the camp emphasised that Camp Mystic Cypress Lake — which they’re planning on reopening subsequent summer season — is a “separate property that isn’t adjoining to the Guadalupe River and sustained no injury from the historic flood on July 4.”
Of their unique reopening announcement, Camp officers stated “the guts of Camp Mystic has by no means stopped beating” and they’re “not solely rebuilding cabins and trails, but in addition a spot the place laughter, friendship and religious development will proceed to flourish.”
In addition they stated they might be constructing a memorial “devoted to the lives of the campers and counselors misplaced on July 4th.”
On this July 7, 2025, file photograph, a search and rescue workforce seems for individuals alongside the Guadalupe River close to a broken constructing at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas.
Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP through Getty Photographs, FILE
“As we work to finalize plans, we’ll achieve this in a means that’s conscious of these we’ve misplaced. You’re all a part of the mission and the ministry of Camp Mystic. You imply the world to us, and we stay up for welcoming you again contained in the inexperienced gates,” officers stated in a letter on Tuesday.
However CiCi and Will Steward stated for a lot of households, “Camp Mystic’s coronary heart stopped beating the second these 27 ladies took their final breath.”
Cile Steward, 8, is the one camper who has not been situated because the floods, together with her mother and father saying restoration groups are “nonetheless on the market on daily basis, scouring the river” for his or her youngster.
Cici Williams Steward, mom of flood sufferer Cile Steward, 8, testifies in entrance of the Senate Catastrophe Preparedness and Flooding committee on the Texas Capitol in Austin, on Aug. 20, 2025. Cile is the final remaining Camp Mystic flood sufferer that has not been situated.
The Austin American-Statesman through Getty Photographs, FILE
Her mother and father stated the camp made its reopening announcement “with out prior session or consent from the affected households.”
“You’re getting ready to ask kids to swim within the very river which will nonetheless maintain our daughter’s physique while you plan to ‘open your gates,'”CiCi and Will Steward stated within the letter.
Carrie Hanna, the mom of 8-year-old Hadley Hanna, a camper who died within the floods, stated, “there’s just one precedence for us proper now: discovering Cile.”
On this July 5, 2025, file photograph, a view inside a cabin at Camp Mystic, the positioning of the place no less than 20 ladies went lacking after flash flooding, is proven in Hunt, Texas.
Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP through Getty Photographs, FILE
“Camp Mystic needs to be placing each ounce of vitality and sources into serving to the search. It is unfathomable ladies can be swimming in that river, whereas our bodies have but to be recovered,” Hanna stated in a press release to ABC Information.
The mother and father of Mary Grace Baker, one other 8-year-old who died within the floods, advised ABC Information they had been “by no means consulted a couple of memorial, regardless of the camp suggesting in any other case.”
“An announcement a couple of memorial doesn’t resolve our security considerations or tackle our uncooked grief. With one youngster nonetheless lacking, it isn’t simply insensitive however unconscionable to ask new campers again to the very place the place 27 younger lives had been misplaced,” Clarke and Katie Baker stated in a press release to ABC Information.
CiCi and Will Steward are asking the camp to “halt all dialogue of reopening and memorials” and as a substitute guarantee their lacking daughter be recovered and to “absolutely confront and account in your function within the occasions and failures that brought on the deaths of our daughters.”
“Something much less dishonors the youngsters who had been killed whereas in your care – at a time when their security was your major accountability,” the mother and father wrote of their letter.
“We are going to proceed to advocate for reforms and demand full accountability,” Cile Steward’s mother and father added.
On this July 4, 2025, file photograph, a view of Camp Mystic, the positioning of the place 27 ladies had been killed in flash flooding, is proven in Kerr County, Texas.
Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP through Getty Photographs, FILE
In a press release to ABC Information, Camp Mystic stated they’re within the “preliminary phases of planning a memorial” and “have notified bereaved mother and father.” They stated additionally they “welcome” the participation of households “as the method develops.”
“Our determination to partially reopen areas of the camp is knowledgeable by our religion and our dedication to proceed the practically century-long mission and ministry of Camp Mystic to offer a Christian tenting expertise for ladies that enables them to develop bodily, mentally and spiritually,” the camp stated in a press release to ABC Information.
The camp stated it’s “working with engineers and different consultants to adjust to all components of the lately handed camp security laws.”
Kerr County Public Relations didn’t instantly reply to ABC Information’ request for remark.
