Parents of Camp Mystic victim share message one year after 2025 flood

The parents of an eight-year-old girl who died at Camp Mystic released a statement ahead of the first anniversary of the July 2025 flood. "On this Fourth of July, it will be one year since our eight-year-old daughter, Cile, was killed in the floodwaters at Camp Mystic," Will and Cici Steward said in a message shared with KVUE Austin.

"We still do not know how we will face that morning. But we know we will not face it alone," the parents said. The camp, now bankrupt, operated in Kerr County, Texas.

Lawsuits and camp closure The Stewards and other parents filed lawsuits against the Eastland family, which owned the camp. The suits allege the owners were unprepared for the disaster. A judge in Travis County blocked the family from reopening the camp for the summer after roughly 900 prospective campers had signed up.

The Texas health board also denied an operating permit. The camp director admitted in court that the head nurse abandoned children during the flood. The nurse later lost her state nursing license.

Alabama enacted new laws requiring stricter disaster preparation and staff training at camps. A board member for the Safe Summers Foundation, whose daughter died while working as a counselor, said the group advocates for camp safety reforms. The Stewards said they would continue to seek justice and reform.

"On this Fourth of July, you are living proof of what our country stands for, and of what it means to be a Texan," they wrote.