State investigators have released their final report on the Camp Mystic flood that occurred on July 4 of last year, resulting in the deaths of 25 campers and two counselors. The report, which was presented to state lawmakers, details a series of cascading failures that led to the tragedy.

Findings of the Report

The investigators found that Camp Mystic did not have state-required written emergency plans or adequate evacuation measures in place, which could have prevented the deaths. The camp’s leadership, including director Richard Eastland, who also died in the flood, did not have a plan to evacuate the campers in the event of a flood.

The report also found that the camp’s counselors were not provided with cellphones or other means of communication, and that the camp’s leadership confiscated their personal cellphones while they were on site. This lack of communication led to a delay in evacuating the campers, which ultimately resulted in the tragic outcome.

The investigators also noted that the camp’s reunification efforts and incident management after the storm were chaotic, leading to unnecessary trauma for the campers’ parents who were waiting to learn whether their children had survived.

Response from Lawmakers

A joint committee of state representatives and senators said that the Legislature has addressed all but one of the deficiencies outlined in the investigators’ report by passing a series of laws last year. The remaining problem, which is the inability of camp counselors to reach the camp’s owners during the flood, will be addressed in the next legislative session.

Original reporting: Texas Tribune (HLL/CB) — read the source article.