Security Guard Says Early Evacuation Could Have Saved Lives at Camp Mystic Flood

Testimony reveals missed chances to prepare and delayed decisions to evacuate during deadly 2025 flood.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 4:08am

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An extreme close-up photograph of a twisted, damaged camp sign or other physical evidence from the flood, lit by a harsh, direct camera flash against a pitch-black background, conveying a stark, gritty, investigative aesthetic.Damaged evidence from the deadly 2025 flood at Camp Mystic exposes failures in the camp's emergency preparedness.Austin Today

A security guard at Camp Mystic in Texas testified that an early evacuation order could have saved lives during a deadly flood that swept through the camp last year, killing 25 campers and two teenage counselors. Glenn Juenke said he made the decision to tell a group of campers to run to higher ground as floodwaters rose, but there was no formal evacuation plan or training for staff and campers on where to go in an emergency.

Why it matters

The testimony has raised questions about the camp's preparedness and emergency response procedures, as the operators seek to reopen the all-girls Christian camp this summer. Families of the victims who died in the flood have opposed the reopening and are involved in pending lawsuits against the camp.

The details

Juenke, who was trapped in a cabin with a group of girls during the flood, said camp directors Dick and Edward Eastland did not provide clear evacuation orders or training for staff and campers. He said he made the decision on his own to tell a group of young girls to run to higher ground as the water rose. Juenke later met up with camp director Catie Eastland near a two-story building where about 100 girls had escaped, and told her 'y'all could have had a million different evacuation plans, nothing would have worked'.

  • The deadly flood swept through Camp Mystic in the predawn hours of July 4th, 2025.
  • A three-day hearing was held in April 2026 regarding the camp's plan to reopen this summer.

The players

Glenn Juenke

A security guard at Camp Mystic who helped move some girls to a two-story building before getting trapped inside a cabin himself, and later saved a group of campers by telling them to run to higher ground as flood waters rose.

Dick Eastland

One of the co-owners of Camp Mystic who died in the 2025 flood.

Edward Eastland

One of the co-owners of Camp Mystic.

Catie Eastland

One of the directors of Camp Mystic.

Cile Steward

An 8-year-old camper whose body has not been recovered after the flood.

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What they’re saying

“You can blame it on Mother Nature or God Almighty, but if anyone had used the speakers or walkie talkie and told them to leave before 3 (am), they would've survived.”

— Brad Beckworth, Attorney for the family of Cile Steward

“We did everything we could do in the time that we had.”

— Glenn Juenke, Security guard

What’s next

A judge last month ordered the camp to preserve damaged areas as evidence for pending lawsuits, but that ruling is under appeal. The camp's license is still under review by state health regulators as they seek to reopen this summer.

The takeaway

This tragic incident has exposed significant gaps in Camp Mystic's emergency preparedness and evacuation planning, raising serious questions about the camp's ability to ensure the safety of campers if it is allowed to reopen. The testimony has also highlighted the need for stricter regulations and oversight of summer camps to prevent such devastating loss of life in the future.