Texas Camp Mystic flood newest in historical past of lethal summer season camp tragedies | USAEMALL.com

As countless children flock to summer camps around the country to enjoy the outdoors while school is out, the wholly American tradition has not existed without a history of tragic horror stories leaving families grieving the unimaginable.  

Over the Fourth of July weekend, 27 children and counselors were killed after a flash flood swept through Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, the all-girls Christian camp said Monday morning. Ten campers and one counselor remain unaccounted for as authorities race to search the receding floodwaters of the Guadalupe River. 

“Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy,” the camp said in a statement. “We are praying for them constantly.”

YOUNG TEXAS CAMP SURVIVOR DESCRIBES HARROWING MOMENT SHE PREPARED FOR WORST DURING DEADLY FLOOD

A view of Camp Mystic, the site where at least 20 girls went missing after flash flooding in Hunt, Texas, on July 5, 2025.  (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images)

Of the deceased, an 8-year-old girl from Alabama visiting Camp Mystic and the camp’s director, Dick Eastland, were confirmed as victims, according to state officials and Texas Public Radio. 

“We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls,” the statement added.

Camp Mystic did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

The devastating events unfolding at Camp Mystic are the most recent in a long line of tragedies striking summer camps throughout the country, with parents sending their children off with the expectation that the only phone call home will be due to homesickness. 

CAMP MYSTIC DIRECTOR DIES WHILE TRYING TO SAVE KIDS DURING TEXAS FLOODING

A view inside a cabin at Camp Mystic, where at least 20 girls went missing after flash flooding in Hunt, Texas, on July 5, 2025. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images)

“This tragic event ranks among the most severe flooding disasters in recent camp history, and its scale has deeply shaken the camp community,” American Camp Association CEO Henry DeHart said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Camps across the country work tirelessly to provide safe, enriching experiences, and our focus remains on supporting those affected during this incredibly difficult time.” 

The association is the only national program that provides camps with accreditation to implement policies surrounding the health and safety of attendees. 

“No amount of planning could have anticipated this disaster,” DeHart added. “This tragedy is a sobering reminder of the unpredictable forces of nature, and now the strength of the camp community will rally in compassion and unity when it matters most.”

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From gruesome murders to accidental drownings, American summer camps have not been untouched by tragedy in recent years, forcing parents to face the choice of sending their children for a fun-filled summer with the risk of them never returning.

Terror on the Guadalupe River

Over 300 children were evacuated by bus from the Pot O’ Gold Ranch summer camp after the Guadalupe River flooded in Comfort, Texas in 1987.  (National Weather Service )

The scene at Camp Mystic is eerily reminiscent of a 1987 tragedy that stemmed from the same river that continues to claim the lives of campgoers after this weekend’s floods. 

Nearly four decades ago, over 300 children were attending summer camp at the Pot O’ Gold Ranch, located approximately two miles southwest of Comfort, Texas, when severe thunderstorms moved into the area, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). 

Local law enforcement tried to warn camp officials of a flood wave moving toward the camp, with authorities ultimately deciding to evacuate the children. Shortly after leaving, the caravan of buses encountered rapidly rising waters, forcing the drivers to take an alternate route. 

WHITE HOUSE BLAMES SCHUMER, DEMOCRATS FOR ‘DEPRAVED LIE’ BLAMING TRUMP FOR TEXAS FLASH FLOOD

WATCH: NWS shares images of deadly 1987 Guadalupe River flood

As the line of buses were evacuating, the last vehicle in the group was overtaken by the floodwaters, forcing those on board to try to wade to safety. As the campgoers and chaperones made their way to dry land by forming a human chain, several individuals were swept away by the fast-moving deluge. 

A total of 39 teenagers and four adults were carried away by the floodwaters, with 10 of the teens drowning, according to NWS. The remaining survivors were subsequently rescued — some by helicopter — and taken to safety. 

Boy Scout dies in New Mexico floodwaters 

In June 2015, a 13-year-old camper died after floodwaters ravaged a Boy Scout troop’s New Mexico campsite as the children slept, according to the Associated Press.

The group of eight California boys and their chaperones awoke to find themselves trapped as water poured into their tents, with some using their teeth to rip holes to escape the chaos. 

“You could hear people yelling, but you couldn’t understand what they were saying,” Michael Evans, a chaperone, told police.

PARENTS DESPERATELY SEEKING ANSWERS ON MISSING CAMPERS AFTER TEXAS FLOOD

Timelapse video shows Texas’ Llano River flooding

Four boys were swept away by the floodwaters and carried down a canyon, where some reportedly clung to trees and other objects to stay afloat. 

The flood claimed the life of Alden Brock after his tent succumbed to the powerful rushing water. 

“We floated down the stream, I guess, for a little bit,” Logan Reed recalled after he and Brock were unable to escape their tents. “I guess there was a hole in the bottom of the tent, and I slipped out of that.” 

The troop was enjoying a 12-day trek at the Philmont Scout Ranch when the floodwaters rushed through North Ponil Canyon at approximately 4:30 a.m., with the sheer level of devastation shocking local authorities. 

TEXAS FAMILY HELPS RESCUE WOMAN CLINGING TO TREE AFTER BEING SWEPT 20 MILES DOWNRIVER

“The actual little creek that runs down through there isn’t any more than a foot and a half, two feet wide,” Colfax County Sheriff Rick Sinclair said at the time of the incident. “And the area of destruction had to be, I’m guessing, at least 50 yards wide, maybe wider.”   

In a statement about Texas flooding at Camp Mystic, Scouting America told Fox News Digital: “Our prayers are with the families and youth affected by the tragic events at Camp Mystic, as well as the many others impacted by the widespread flooding throughout the region. We stand in support of the entire community during this challenging time.”

Child drowns at New Jersey summer camp 

Last year, a 6-year-old boy drowned on the first day of a New Jersey day camp, leaving a community grieving as parents grappled for answers. 

The child was attending a Liberty Lakes swim camp for students entering first and second grade when he went underwater in the shallow end of a 20-foot-wide pool, according to Fox 29. 

YOUNG BOY, 6, DROWNS IN NEW JERSEY SUMMER DAY CAMP SWIMMING POOL 

A summer camp in Burlington County, New Jersey is grieving after a 6-year-old camper drowned. (FOX 29)

Liberty Lakes’ pool reportedly exceeded state lifeguard standards, with the child swimming in a group with an adult leader, two teen counselors and three adult advocates for campers with special needs — including one representative specifically assigned to him. 

Liberty Lakes Summer Day Camp did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

‘Girl Scout Murders’ stumps investigators despite new DNA evidence

The mystery surrounding the fates of four Girl Scouts who were abducted from their tents and killed on the first night after arriving at an Oklahoma summer camp in June 1977 continues to stump authorities decades later. 

Lori Lee, 8, Michelle Guse, 9, and Doris Denise Millner, 10, were brutally beaten, sexually assaulted and murdered at Camp Scott just hours after arriving.

OKLAHOMA’S ‘GIRL SCOUT MURDERS’ CONTINUE TO HAUNT, MYSTIFY AUTHORITIES FOUR DECADES LATER, FOX NATION EXPLORES

Lori Lee Farmer, 8, Michelle Guse, 9, and Doris Denise Milner, 10, who were mysteriously abducted from their tent and later found dead.  (Hulu)

Gene Leroy Hart was tried and acquitted after authorities suspected him of brutally killing three Girl Scouts in 1977.  (Fox News)

Following the discovery of their bodies, authorities launched a 10-month-long manhunt for the suspected killer, Gene Leroy Hart. 

However, a controversial trial led to the acquittal of Hart, with authorities never naming an additional suspect in the murders. 

In 2022, officials announced new DNA evidence strongly linked Hart — who had died in prison serving time for previous crimes — to the girls’ murders. 

Falling tree crushes California camp staff member

A California summer camp was left grieving after an oak tree “spontaneously fell” in June 2013, killing one staff member and injuring four others. 

Approximately 25 members of Camp Tawonga’s staff were outside eating breakfast when “there was a very loud cracking noise,” followed by a massive oak tree falling to the ground, according to the organization. 

3 HIKERS DIE IN WATERFALL PLUNGE NEAR POPULAR SUMMER VACATION DESTINATION

The tree struck five staff members, ultimately killing Annais Rittenberg. Two individuals were seriously injured and subsequently saved by fellow staff members as first responders raced to the scene.

Following an investigation, California Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials determined the camp did not violate any regulatory codes, and the organization was commended for the team’s swift response in an emergency situation. 

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Camp Tawonga did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Tornado kills four Eagle Scouts at Iowa campground

Remnants from a Boy Scout uniform sit in the rubble left by a tornado that struck at the Little Sioux Scout Ranch, seen near Little Sioux, Iowa on June 12, 2008.  (AP Photo/Matt Miller, POOL)

In June 2008, four Eagle Scouts were killed when an EF-3 tornado struck Iowa’s Little Sioux Scout Ranch, ripping through the cabin the troop had taken shelter in.

“My friend pulled me out of the rubble and propped me on a chair,” Kevin Hanna told the Omaha World-Herald. “I couldn’t move my legs at all.”

The tornado killed Sam Thomsen, Josh Fennen, Aaron Eilerts and Ben Petrzilka, and injured 48 others, according to KETV 7. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.