As deadly flash floods ripped through Texas Hill Country on July 4, a wave of frantic 911 calls from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ summer camp, captured the terror and desperation of staff, parents, and nearby residents as rising water swept away cabins, roads, and lives.
In total, 28 people died at Camp Mystic — including 25 campers, the camp’s owner and director, and two counselors — after the Guadalupe River suddenly overflowed its banks during intense rainfall. The newly released recordings reveal chaotic pleas for help, missing children, and urgent requests for helicopter rescues as floodwaters rapidly engulfed the camp.
Hundreds of Emergency Calls During “Catastrophic” Flooding
The Kerrville Police Department released nearly 600 emergency calls from the disaster, which left more than 130 people dead across Kerr County.
One early caller reported a missing 7-year-old girl:
“Maybe potentially she’s drowned.”
A camp director also phoned dispatchers, his voice strained:
“We’re missing as many as 20 to 40 people.”
Camp Mystic later said the release of the recordings is a “painful reminder” of the tragedy and that the community continues to mourn.
Cut Off From the Outside World: ‘The Roadway Is Gone’
With power out, cell service failing, and roads washed away, Camp Mystic staff struggled to get messages out.
A security guard begged 911 for National Guard assistance:
“It’s totally gone — the roadway is gone. The only way out here… is going to be a helicopter.”
Another woman reached authorities through her phone’s SOS function:
“We’re surrounded by water. No way in or out… and someone is severely hurt.”
Dispatchers said rescue units were attempting to reach the camp but couldn’t access the location due to the devastation.
Locals Rescue Children as Survivors Float Down the River
Several callers described young campers being swept away:
One woman in Hunt, a nearby town, said two little girls floated past her home.
“We’ve already got two girls who’ve come down the river. I don’t know how many else are out there.”
Others frantically sought news of their children as communication collapsed across the region.
Chaos at Camp La Junta: ‘We Are 100% Trapped’
Just six miles north, Camp La Junta, a boys’ camp, also suffered severe flooding. Callers described cabins filling with water, structural collapse, and children trapped:
“We’ve got cabins halfway underwater.”
“We can’t get to the kids… there’s a lake between me and all the cabins.”
“We are 100% trapped, hanging on to the rafters.”
Despite the terrifying conditions, every child and staff member at Camp La Junta survived.
Families File Lawsuits After Tragedy
In November, families of six children and two counselors who died at Camp Mystic filed lawsuits accusing the camp of negligence. Attorneys argue the camp sits in “Flash Flood Alley,” one of the most flood-prone regions in the U.S.
The camp denies wrongdoing, saying the surge exceeded all historical flood levels and that no warning system existed that could have predicted it.
Camp Mystic Plans to Reopen With Major Safety Upgrades
Despite the tragedy, Camp Mystic announced plans to reopen next summer with significant new safety measures, including:
- 100+ flood monitoring sensors along nearby rivers and lake systems
- Two-way NOAA weather radios in every cabin
- Backup satellite internet
- High-capacity generators
- A new location at Cypress Lake for upcoming events
Camp leaders say these steps will provide early detection of dangerous water levels and improve emergency communication.
As families continue to grieve, the recordings serve as a heartbreaking reminder of the flood’s sudden destruction — and the heroic efforts of both staff and locals who tried desperately to save the children trapped in its path.
