Mom of Missing 8-Year-Old Daughter from Camp Mystic Flood Pleads for Safer Regulations Following Tragic Disaster

“After the deadly flood at Camp Mystic, Cici Williams Steward speaks out about her missing daughter and urges lawmakers to pass Senate Bill 1 for safer youth camps in Texas.”

In a heartbreaking testimony at a Texas senate hearing on August 20, Cici Williams Steward, mother of missing 8-year-old Cile Steward, shared her grief and frustration over her daughter’s continued disappearance following the tragic flood at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas. The devastating flood, which struck on July 4, claimed the lives of 27 campers and counselors, leaving families desperate for answers and change.

Speaking at the Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding, Steward condemned the lack of safety measures that she believes contributed to the loss of her daughter. “Obvious common sense safety measures were absent, protocols that should have been in place were ignored,” she said, adding, “As a result, my daughter was stolen from me, not because of an unavoidable act of nature, but because of preventable failures on just her fifth day of camp.”

Cici, who had promised her daughter that her safety was paramount, expressed her heartbreak as her daughter’s disappearance continues. “I told her her safety and the safety of all the young girls was paramount,” she testified. “But they weren’t safe.”

Other families of victims who died in the flood also testified, urging lawmakers to enact Senate Bill 1, a new bill aimed at improving safety and disaster preparedness at youth camps across the state. The bill would prohibit the building of camp cabins in floodplains and require all camps to implement emergency plans for natural disasters, including procedures to identify and locate campers during emergencies.

Carrie Hanna, mother of Hadley Hanna, who tragically died in the flood, echoed similar sentiments, recalling how she promised her daughter that camp would be the safest place for her. “I lied to her. She not only wasn’t safe, she died,” she said emotionally.

Blake Bonner, father of Lila Bonner, one of the victims, also spoke out. “I naively assumed she was safer at camp than anywhere else,” Blake said. “When I think about the trauma and fear our girls endured, it makes me physically ill. This loss is one no parent should have to endure.”

The mother of Janie Hunt, Ann Lindsey Hunt, shared her deep pain, saying, “Janie was the heartbeat of our family. She left for camp full of excitement and joy. She came home in a plywood box.” Her words served as a haunting reminder of the innocence lost due to the lack of safety precautions.

Senator Charles Perry, who chairs the Senate Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness, emphasized that had Senate Bill 1 been in place during the flood, some or all of the victims’ lives could have been saved. “Had the requirements of SB 1 been in place on the night of July 4, I have no doubt that some lives, if not all lives, would have been saved,” Perry stated.

Under Senate Bill 1, camps would also be required to submit their emergency plans to local emergency management coordinators and the State Health Department, ensuring that they are prepared for natural disasters. This bill is a critical step in holding camps accountable and ensuring the safety of children at these facilities in the future.

Prior to the tragedy, the owner of Camp Mystic, who tragically died trying to save campers, had advocated for flood warning systems along the Guadalupe River, where the camp is located. The camp had been included in FEMA’s “Special Flood Hazard Area” in 2011 but was later removed from the hazard zone after an appeal in 2013.

The families impacted by the disaster are now pushing for change, hoping that the tragic loss of their children will lead to real reforms in camp safety, so no other parent has to endure what they have.