AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Camp Mystic on Thursday halted plans to reopen this summer, backing down after months of intensifying outrage by Texas lawmakers and the families of 27 young campers killed last year when floodwaters swept through the all-girls Christian camp in the middle of the night.
The decision comes after days of pointed questioning by Texas lawmakers who are investigating camp officials' response to the devastating flood on July 4 that claimed the lives of 25 campers and two teenage counselors. The camp’s owner, Dick Eastland, also died in the flooding.
“No administrative process or summer season should move forward while families continue to grieve, while investigations continue and while so many Texans still carry the pain of last July’s tragedy,” Camp Mystic said in a statement.
A spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed Thursday that the camp withdrew its application.
