Attorneys Sam Taylor and Mark Lanier vow to continue fight for full accountability on behalf of families of six young girls who died in the July 4, 2025 flood
AUSTIN, TX — The Lanier Law Firm today issued the following statement in response to Camp Mystic’s announcement that it is withdrawing its application for a summer 2026 camp license.
The withdrawal came two days after a joint hearing of the Texas House and Senate General Investigating Committees, during which state investigators described a “complacent flood culture” at the camp, the absence of any meaningful evacuation plan, and a delayed response that contributed to the deaths of 25 campers and two counselors when the Guadalupe River surged through the property on July 4, 2025.
“Given the serious questions that remain, and out of respect for the families of victims, we believe the decision by Camp Mystic ownership to withdraw its application for a state license is proper,” said Sam Taylor, legal counsel for the families of six young girls who drowned during the Camp Mystic flooding. “The families we represent are grateful that no other Texas family will hand their daughter over to Camp Mystic this summer. But until there is full accountability for what happened on July 4 and until there are real, enforceable safeguards for every child sent to a Texas summer camp, our work continues.”
In November 2025, The Lanier Law Firm filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Travis County District Court on behalf of six families. As detailed in the firm’s announcement at the time, the suit alleges that Camp Mystic’s owners and operators ignored flood warnings, lacked emergency protocols for flood conditions, failed to protect campers, and concealed the dangers of cabin locations on their riverside property.
The complaint also cites FEMA maps placing Camp Mystic within a “Special Flood Hazard Area” and alleges that the Eastland family petitioned to remove cabins from floodplain designations to reduce insurance costs while continuing to market the camp as safe.
“Six little girls went to summer camp and never came home,” said firm founder Mark Lanier. “Their families have spent ten months asking the questions that matter most: Why did this happen, and how do we keep it from happening to anyone else’s child? This week, the Texas Legislature heard the answer. The camp now hears it too.”
The lawsuit seeks justice for the families of Virginia “Wynne” Naylor, Hadley Hanna, and Jane “Janie” Hunt of Dallas; Lucy Dillon of Houston; Kellyanne Lytal of San Antonio; and Virginia Hollis of Bellville, Texas.
The claims include liability for wrongful death, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty and failure to warn. The filing seeks actual and exemplary damages, and policy changes to improve safety and emergency preparedness across Texas youth camps.
Testimony this week before state lawmakers reinforced the central allegations of the firm’s complaint. The Texas Legislature’s lead investigator told committee members that Camp Mystic operated within a “complacent flood culture” despite well-documented flood events at the site dating back to 1932, and detailed safety shortcomings including cabins without cell phones or radios, fewer counselors assigned per cabin than in previous years, and the absence of a formal written evacuation plan or staff training. Four members of the Eastland family, who own and operate Camp Mystic, faced hours of questioning and offered apologies to the families of victims.
About The Lanier Law Firm
The Lanier Law Firm is an award-winning national trial firm specializing in a variety of practice areas, including asbestos exposure, pharmaceutical liability, business litigation, and product liability. As one of the most experienced asbestos litigation law firms in the world, Lanier provides mesothelioma legal services in all 50 states. With talented attorneys in Houston, New York and Los Angeles, the firm has won more than $20 billion in verdicts for clients since its founding in 1990.
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