OAN Staff Abril Elfi
12:45 PM – Wednesday, August 20, 2025
The parents of the young girls who passed away during the Texas flood that hit Camp Mystic have testified during a Senate hearing.
On Wednesday, the family members of the children who died in the tragic flooding testified in Austin, Texas, about proposed flood safety legislation for camps and campgrounds.
On July 4th, 27 girls died when their cabins were hit by rapid floodwaters.
Advertisement
Michael McCown, the father of 8-year-old Linnie McCown, took the stand, stating that his family trusted Camp Mystic with his daughter’s life, but the trust was broken “in the most devastating way.”
“I still remember standing near Bubble Inn the morning of July 5, amidst the wreckage of camp, looking at the cabins, and asking myself, ‘How? Why? How could these girls vanish into the night without anyone having eyes on them, while cabins just 20 yards away had no casualties? What went wrong?” McCown said.
Cile Steward’s mother also testified in the hearing, saying that “Cile’s life ended, not because of an unavoidable act of nature, but because of preventable failures.”
Cile is one of two flood victims whose bodies have not been found.
“On her fifth day of camp, which should have marked the beginning of a magical first summer, Cile was swept away, along with other bright, beautiful girls. She was stolen from her family, from her future, from the world she lit up with her independence and spunk,” Steward said.
“This legislation cannot bring back our daughters, but it is the beginning of change that must occur so this tragedy never happens again. It is the start of a promise that their lives, and their deaths, will mean change. It is an effort to ensure that no other family suffers as we all have,” she said.
The parents are members of the Campaign for Camp Safety, an organization formed in response to the tragic flooding to advocate for an investigation and policy changes.
Some of their recommendations include relocating camp structures away from flood-prone and hazardous areas, implementing 24/7 emergency alert monitoring and notification systems, standardizing evacuation plans and mandating emergency drills, and requiring formal emergency management protocols for camps.
The week before the hearing, the parents met privately with Governor Greg Abbott (R-Texas), Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (R-Texas), and Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Texas) at the Texas Capitol and the Governor’s Mansion.
The Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding will hold a public hearing on Senate Bill 1, which addresses safety issues at youth camps and campgrounds. According to the bill’s author, it incorporates valuable comments from the families of children who died at Camp Mystic.
The Act contains stiffer regulatory standards for summer camps, which will no longer be able to operate with cabins located in a 100-year floodplain. Camp Mystic featured cottages in both the 100-year floodplain and a regulatory floodway, which brought them even closer to the river.
Camps must also have state-approved safety plans, conduct staff and volunteer trainings, and establish protocols for communicating with emergency responders, local authorities, and parents.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news alerts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!
Sponsored Content Below
