Camp Mystic Director Dies Trying to Save Young Campers from Floods as Death Toll Surpasses 50
With multiple cabins washed away in the floodwaters, many of Camp Mystic's young campers are among the heartbreaking casualties and those still missing.
On Saturday, Eastland himself was counted among the deceased, as reported by The Kerville Daily Times. His nephew was first to announce his death on Facebook, per KSAT, in a post that is no longer available.
Talking to the Washington Post after his death was announced, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said that Eastland died in a helicopter on the way to a hospital. He'd reportedly been rescued after trying to save girls at his camp, rushing to one of the camp's 23 cabins when floodwaters swept it away.
"It doesn't surprise me at all that his last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers," wrote a former camper in a column written for the Daily Times.
She wrote that she and many of the girls who attended Camp Mystic saw Eastland as a father-figure, and looked forward to spending time with him and his wife Tweety each summer. Tweety was found alive in the couple's home on the camp grounds, according to Texas Public Radio.
As search-and-rescue operations continue in and around Kerrville on Sunday, more than 43 people are confirmed dead in Kerr County alone, and 59 total from the devastating floodwaters of the Guadalupe River which rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes early Friday morning, per ABC News.
Officials in Kerr County said that the speed at which the water rose made it impossible for them to issue evacuation orders in time, with Kerrville city manager Dalton Rice telling the outlet, "This happened very quickly, over a very short period of time, that could not be predicted, even with the radar."
Among the dead are 21 children, while 23 girls from Camp Mystic remain missing and have not been since the flash flood washed away many of the cabins. The total amount of people reported missing, beyond the children, has not been released by authorities.
"I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines," Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement, vowing that search efforts will continue working around the clock as the water recedes, opening up new areas.
Founded in 1926, the Eastlands are third-generation owners of Camp Mystic, per The Daily Mail. The camp's mission is for the camp to "bring out the best" in its young campers, emphasizing the forging of lifelong friendships and a "wholesome Christian atmosphere."
NBC News states there were approximately 750 girls at Camp Mystic when the flooding began. The camp told parents via email in the aftermath that if they had not been contacted directly, then their daughter or daughters have been accounted for.
In the four-week summer sessions, girls enjoy horseback riding, dances, fishing, and water activities. The river, which is usually idyllic and peaceful, is prone to flash flooding, but officials are calling this a 100-year-flood after receiving what they characterized as months of rain in an extremely short span.
Several families have confirmed the deaths of their own daughters in heartbroken social media posts and statements to the media, but as the identities of the missing and deceased have not yet been released, it is not known if officials are acknowledging those losses yet in their figures.
At least five Camp Mystic girls are confirmed dead, according to family members, including Renee Smajstrla, 8; Sarah Marsh, 8; Janie Hunt, 9; and Lila Bonner, 9, and Eloise Peck, 8, as reported by the New York Post.
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