神秘营地的多名露营者和两名辅导员的家庭毁灭性的山洪爆发今年7月，德克萨斯州的一家公司起诉该营地，指控其严重疏忽和对安全的不顾后果导致了一场“自寻死路”的灾难，总共夺去了28人的生命。
七月四日洪水精疲力竭的基督教女子露宿营地位于瓜达卢佩河沿岸，在露营者睡觉时，河水一夜之间迅速上涨。25名露营者，两名辅导员和营地主任在洪水淹没营地后死亡，许多人被困在他们的小屋中。
周一提起的两起诉讼之一包括五名露营者的家庭:8岁的安娜·玛格丽特·贝洛斯;莱拉·邦纳，9岁;莫莉·德威特，9岁;子卓琳·兰德里，9岁;8岁的布莱克利·麦克罗里和两名去世的辅导员——18岁的克洛伊·柴尔德里斯和19岁的凯瑟琳·费鲁佐——作为原告。
“今天，露营者玛格丽特、莱拉、莫莉、子卓琳和布莱克利应该是三年级学生，辅导员克洛伊和凯瑟琳应该是德克萨斯大学的新生。他们都走了，”请愿书上写道。“当他们的家人还在为失去亲人而挣扎的时候，集中营自悲剧发生以来的所作所为只是加深了痛苦。”
在这些行动中，诉讼引用了最近的公告，神秘营将部分重新开放它的一个姐妹网站明年夏天，并继续评估计划重建瓜达卢佩河的位置。
“自始至终，该营地拒绝为其行为和未能采取行动承担任何责任，公然将这场悲剧归咎于‘不可抗力’，任何负责任的措施都无法避免，”该诉讼称。
诉讼声称，营地官员“关注利润超过安全”，做出“关于小屋位置的灾难性决定”，并有关于洪水的不安全政策，包括所谓的“永不撤离”命令。
根据请愿书，这些家庭寻求超过100万美元的赔偿。
“我们的客户已经提起诉讼，寻求责任和真相，”其中一个家庭的律师保罗·耶特在一份声明中说。“神秘营地未能履行其保护露营者和辅导员安全的首要职责，年轻女孩因此丧生。这一行动是关于透明、责任和确保没有其他家庭经历这些父母现在将在余生遭受的痛苦。"
第二起针对神秘夏令营的诉讼是由8岁的营员艾洛伊丝“露露”佩克的父母提起的。
该诉讼称，露营者和辅导员被杀害“在可预见的情况下，河水迅速上涨，洪水席卷了神秘营地已知的脆弱和低洼地区。”
“露露·佩克是那些被可怕地冲走和杀害的人之一，”它继续说。
该诉讼称，“这些可怕的最后时刻和死亡是由被告的疏忽和重大疏忽直接造成的”，声称他们“知道营地设施位于洪水区，知道克尔县山洪暴发的历史，知道营地以前多次发生洪水事件，并收到家庭成员关于洪水风险的警告。”
该诉讼还寻求至少100万美元的损害赔偿。
两起诉讼都将神秘营地及其所有者伊斯特兰家族列为被告。
ABC新闻已经联系了神秘营地的律师和伊斯特兰家族的代表进行评论。
官员们说，至少有138人在丘陵地区的山洪中丧生，其中包括科尔县的117人。
神秘营地所在的受灾严重的克尔县的官员说，在不到6个小时的时间里，降雨量超过了12英寸，瓜达卢佩河在风暴期间每小时上涨超过20英尺。
灾难发生后，关于在一个被称为“山洪暴发小巷”的地区建立夏令营和山洪暴发预警系统的规定受到了审查。
这场灾难促使该州通过了旨在加强夏令营安全措施的立法，并建立了一个拨款项目，以支持在洪水易发地区安装预警警报器。
九月，神秘夏令营宣布计划再开明年夏令营的一个地点。夏季项目官员表示，2020年开放的姐妹网站Camp Mystic Cypress Lake将于2026年夏天开放，而Camp Mystic Guadalupe River由于今年早些时候遭受的毁灭性破坏，届时将无法重新开放。
“神秘营地的心脏从未停止跳动，因为你是神秘的。我们不仅在重建小木屋和小径，也是一个欢笑、友谊和精神成长将继续蓬勃发展的地方，”营地官员当时说。“在我们努力敲定计划时，我们会铭记那些我们已经失去的人。你们都是神秘营地使命和部门的一部分。你对我们来说意味着整个世界，我们期待着欢迎你回到绿色之门。”
Families of Camp Mystic campers, counselors who died in Texas flood file lawsuits
The families of multiple campers and two counselors at Camp Mystic who died in thedevastating flash floodin Texas in July are suing the camp, alleging gross negligence and reckless disregard for safety led to a "self-created disaster" that claimed the lives of 28 people total.
The Fourth of July floodwiped outthe Christian all-girls sleepaway camp located along the Guadalupe River, which rapidly rose overnight while campers were sleeping. Twenty-five campers, two counselors and the camp's director died after flood waters inundated the camp, trapping many in their cabins.
One of two lawsuits filed Monday includes the families of five campers -- Anna Margaret Bellows, 8; Lila Bonner, 9; Molly DeWitt, 9; Lainey Landry, 9; and Blakely McCrory, 8 --- and the two counselors who died -- Chloe Childress, 18, and Katherine Ferruzzo, 19 -- as plaintiffs.
"Today, campers Margaret, Lila, Molly, Lainey, and Blakely should be third graders, and counselors Chloe and Katherine should be freshmen at the University of Texas. They all are gone," the petition stated. "And while their families struggle with their loss, the Camp's actions since the tragedy have only deepened the pain."
Among the actions, the lawsuit cites the recent announcement that Camp Mystic willpartially reopenone of its sister sites next summer and continues to evaluate plans to rebuild the Guadalupe River location.
"And through it all, the Camp refuses to accept any responsibility for its actions and failures to act, defiantly blaming this tragedy on 'an act of God' that no responsible steps could have avoided," the lawsuit alleged.
The lawsuit claims that the camp officials "focused on profits over safety," made "catastrophic decisions concerning the cabin locations" and had unsafe policies regarding floods, including an alleged "never evacuate" order.
The families are seeking more than $1 million in damages, according to the petition.
"Our clients have filed this lawsuit to seek accountability and truth," one of the families' attorneys, Paul Yetter, said in a statement. "Camp Mystic failed at its primary job to keep its campers and counselors safe, and young girls died as a result.This action is about transparency, responsibility and ensuring no other family experiences what these parents will now suffer the rest of their lives."
The second lawsuit against Camp Mystic was filed by the parents of 8-year-old camper Eloise "LuLu" Peck.
The lawsuit alleged that the campers and counselors were killed "after, predictably, the river rapidly rose, and floodwaters swept through what Camp Mystic knew was a vulnerable and low-lying area of the Camp."
"Lulu Peck was among those horrifically swept away and killed," it continued.
The lawsuit alleged that "these terrifying last moments and then deaths were proximately caused by the negligence and gross negligence" of the defendants, claiming they "knew that Camp facilities were located in a flood zone, knew of the history of flash flooding in Kerr County, knew of repeated prior flood events at the Camp, and received warnings from family members about flood risk."
The lawsuit is also seeking at least $1 million in damages.
Both lawsuits name Camp Mystic and its owners, the Eastland family, among the defendants.
ABC News has reached out to Camp Mystic's attorney and representatives of the Eastland family for comment.
At least 138 people were killed in flash flooding across the Hill Country region, including 117 in Kerr County, officials said.
Officials in hard-hit Kerr County, where Camp Mystic is located, said that more than 12 inches of rain fell in under 6 hours, and that the Guadalupe River rose more than 20 feet per hour during the storm.
Regulations regarding the development of summer camps in an area known as "Flash Flood Alley" and flash-flood warning systems came under scrutiny following the disaster.
The catastrophe prompted the state to pass legislation aimed at enhancing safety measures at summer camps and create a grant program to support the installation of early-warning sirens in areas prone to flash flooding.
In September, Camp Mystic announced plans toreopenone site of its summer camp next year. The summer program officials said that Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, a sister site that opened in 2020, will be open in summer 2026, while Camp Mystic Guadalupe River will not be able to reopen by then due to the devastating damage sustained earlier this year.
"The heart of Camp Mystic has never stopped beating, because you are Mystic. We are not only rebuilding cabins and trails, but also a place where laughter, friendship and spiritual growth will continue to flourish," camp officials said at the time. "As we work to finalize plans, we will do so in a way that is mindful of those we have lost. You are all part of the mission and the ministry of Camp Mystic. You mean the world to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back inside the green gates."
