Texas health investigators are looking into complaints filed against Camp Mystic with help from the Texas Rangers. The Texas Department of State Health Services is also evaluating whether to renew the camp’s license to operate this summer, according to state officials.
What are the complaints?
The health agency is reviewing what it said were hundreds of complaints filed about the care of children at Camp Mystic, a historic youth camp on the Guadalupe River where 27 girls and counselors died along with the camp’s owner when the river flooded on July 4 last year.
Has the investigation led to any actions?
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Tuesday cited the investigation in a public letter to the agency, urging it for a second time not to renew the camp’s license.
Has Camp Mystic tried to renew its license?
The camp submitted its application to renew its license to operate at the end of March. The camp has sought to reopen Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, a newer portion of its property this summer that is on higher ground and had no fatalities during the flood.
What is Camp Mystic’s reaction to all of this?
The camp said it has been cooperating with a joint committee of legislators from the state House and Senate that has been tasked with investigating issues surrounding the flood. And it said it looks forward to working with the Rangers.
What other obstacles is it facing?
Separate battles that could determine whether the camp continues operating are playing out in courtrooms. The parents of Cile Steward — the only camper whose body hasn’t been found — asked a judge overseeing their lawsuit against Camp Mystic to keep the camp closed as a way to preserve evidence in the case.
A group of Camp Mystic parents sued DSHS in federal court, alleging the state failed to follow the law by licensing the camp without making sure it had an evacuation plan.
An aerial view of damage along the Guadalupe River near Kerrville on July 5, 2025. Photo by Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune
