Lower than three months after devastating floods tragically killed 27 folks at Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas, the camp introduced it is going to 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 endless nightmare as little greater than a short pause earlier than resuming enterprise as typical,” 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 time camp positioned on the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas, was hit with devastating floods on July 4, killing 27 campers and counselors in the course of the evening. Some state leaders and environmental specialists told ABC News in July that a variety of the cabins have been in identified flood zones and shut proximity to the river, in response to officers and FEMA’s street maps.
Cile Steward, 8, has been lacking for the reason that floods hit Camp Mystic on July 4.
Steward household
The summer time camp made the announcement on Tuesday that Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, a sister website that opened in 2021, will likely be open in summer time 2026, whereas Camp Mystic Guadalupe River won’t be able to reopen by then as a result of devastating injury sustained earlier this 12 months. The announcement of the partial reopening was emailed on Sept. 22 to households enrolled within the 2025 camp.
In an announcement to ABC Information, the camp emphasised that Camp Mystic Cypress Lake — which they’re planning on reopening subsequent summer time — 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 authentic reopening announcement, Camp officers mentioned “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 mentioned they’d be constructing a memorial “devoted to the lives of the campers and counselors misplaced on July 4th.”
On this July 7, 2025, file picture, a search and rescue crew appears to be like for folks alongside the Guadalupe River close to a broken constructing at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas.
Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP by way of Getty Pictures, FILE
“As we work to finalize plans, we’ll achieve this in a approach that’s aware of these we’ve got misplaced. You might be all a part of the mission and the ministry of Camp Mystic. You imply the world to us, and we look ahead to welcoming you again contained in the inexperienced gates,” officers mentioned in a letter on Tuesday.
However CiCi and Will Steward mentioned 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 positioned for the reason that floods, along with her mother and father saying restoration groups are “nonetheless on the market day-after-day, 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 positioned.
The Austin American-Statesman by way of Getty Pictures, FILE
Her mother and father mentioned the camp made its reopening announcement “with out prior session or consent from the affected households.”
“You might be getting ready to ask kids to swim within the very river which will nonetheless maintain our daughter’s physique if you plan to ‘open your gates,'”CiCi and Will Steward mentioned within the letter.
Carrie Hanna, the mom of 8-year-old Hadley Hanna, a camper who died within the floods, mentioned, “there’s just one precedence for us proper now: discovering Cile.”
On this July 5, 2025, file picture, a view inside a cabin at Camp Mystic, the location of the place at the least 20 ladies went lacking after flash flooding, is proven in Hunt, Texas.
Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP by way of Getty Pictures, FILE
“Camp Mystic must be placing each ounce of power and sources into serving to the search. It is unfathomable ladies could be swimming in that river, whereas our bodies have but to be recovered,” Hanna mentioned in an announcement to ABC Information.
The mother and father of Mary Grace Baker, one other 8-year-old who died within the floods, instructed ABC Information they have 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 issues or handle our uncooked grief. With one youngster nonetheless lacking, it’s not simply insensitive however unconscionable to ask new campers again to the very place the place 27 younger lives have been misplaced,” Clarke and Katie Baker mentioned in an announcement to ABC Information.
CiCi and Will Steward are asking the camp to “halt all dialogue of reopening and memorials” and as an alternative guarantee their lacking daughter be recovered and to “absolutely confront and account on your function within the occasions and failures that triggered the deaths of our daughters.”
“Something much less dishonors the youngsters who have been killed whereas in your care – at a time when their security was your major duty,” the mother and father wrote of their letter.
“We’ll proceed to advocate for reforms and demand full accountability,” Cile Steward’s mother and father added.
On this July 4, 2025, file picture, a view of Camp Mystic, the location of the place 27 ladies have been killed in flash flooding, is proven in Kerr County, Texas.
Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP by way of Getty Pictures, FILE
In an announcement to ABC Information, Camp Mystic mentioned they’re within the “preliminary levels of planning a memorial” and “have notified bereaved mother and father.” They mentioned in addition 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 permits them to develop bodily, mentally and spiritually,” the camp mentioned in an announcement to ABC Information.
The camp mentioned it’s “working with engineers and different specialists to adjust to all components of the just lately handed camp security laws.”
Kerr County Public Relations didn’t instantly reply to ABC Information’ request for remark.
