Camp Mystic, a beloved summer haven nestled along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas, is mourning the devastating loss of 27 lives, including its co-leader, Dick Eastland, after catastrophic flooding swept through the camp over the Fourth of July weekend. For many Catholic readers, the tragedy brings to mind the spiritual call to humility before God’s creation and our moral responsibility to protect the vulnerable, especially children.
Eastland, described by friends as a “pillar in our county and our community,” died while trying to rescue young campers from the rising waters, according to CNN. “Although I am devastated, I can’t say I’m surprised that you sacrificed your life with the hopes of someone else’s being saved,” his grandson, George Eastland, wrote in an emotional Instagram post.
Eastland’s death is especially poignant because he had long warned of the Guadalupe River’s dangers. “The river is beautiful,” Eastland told the Austin American-Statesman in 1990. “But you have to respect it.”
He had witnessed the river’s wrath firsthand. In 1985, his pregnant wife Tweety had to be airlifted from Camp Mystic during a flood. After 10 children at a nearby camp were killed by floodwaters in 1987, Eastland successfully advocated for a computerized flood warning system through his role on the board of the Upper Guadalupe River Authority. “I’m sure there will be other drownings,” he warned in 1990. “People don’t heed the warnings.”
Sadly, the very warning system he helped implement was shut down in 1999 after it became outdated and “unreliable,” with officials citing “liability concerns that the system would send ‘false signals,’” according to the Kerrville Daily Times. Despite continued efforts in the years that followed, grant applications to fund a modern flood warning network were repeatedly denied.
Meanwhile, Camp Mystic continued to grow, expanding its facilities and building new cabins. However, according to federal flood maps cited by CNN, some of the oldest and hardest-hit buildings were located inside the Guadalupe’s “regulatory floodways” – areas most likely to flood first. Dr. Anna Serra-Llobet, a flood-risk researcher at UC Berkeley, told CNN that camp officials “should have seen the FEMA maps” when expanding and taken that opportunity to move vulnerable sleeping quarters to higher ground.
This tragedy invites reflection not only on local responsibility but also on a broader Catholic call to integral ecology, a term Pope Francis explores in Laudato Si’. It reminds us that stewardship of creation includes safeguarding human life by respecting the forces of nature and preparing wisely for disaster. Eastland’s lifelong efforts to improve safety, even if not fully realized in time, reflect a man devoted to the lives entrusted to him.
Austin Dickson, who served on the river authority with Eastland, praised him as a man of vision and compassion. “So many people say, ‘Mystic is my heaven,’ or ‘Mystic is a dreamland,’ and I think that’s true,” he told CNN. “That’s Dick and Tweety’s life’s work to make that true.”
And yet, the flood has torn that dreamland apart. As Catholics, we are reminded that beauty and danger often coexist in creation. We are called not only to admire the wonder of nature but also to respect its power and protect the vulnerable with foresight and courage.
Eastland’s death—heroic and sacrificial—leaves behind a legacy of love, but also a wake-up call. The river he respected ultimately claimed his life. Still, as his grandson said, “Although he no longer walks this earth, his impact will never fade in the lives he touched.”
May we honor his memory by striving for greater preparedness, deeper respect for God’s creation, and a renewed commitment to the dignity and safety of every human life.
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