AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Board of Nursing has temporarily suspended the license of Camp Mystic’s chief health officer, alleging she failed to prepare and respond appropriately to a catastrophic Hill Country flood that killed campers and counselors last summer.
In an emergency suspension order filed Tuesday, the board accused Mary Elizabeth Eastland of failing to develop emergency evacuation and shelter plans for campers and staff before the July 4 flood struck the all-girls Christian summer camp.
Regulators alleged that Eastland left campers and staff as floodwaters rose, evacuating herself and her children to higher ground without providing assistance or direction to others at the camp.
The filing states that Eastland’s “lack of emergency preparedness” created an unsafe environment that “likely resulted in physical harm, emotional harm, psychological harm, and loss of life” during the disaster at Camp Mystic.
The board also alleged that Eastland did not contact emergency responders after campers and staff were reported missing and failed to report deaths to state health authorities within the required 24-hour period.
The suspension order comes after a flood that killed more than 130 people across the Texas Hill Country, including 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic, and prompted lawsuits alleging camp leaders did not evacuate campers despite worsening flood conditions.
A probable cause hearing must take place within 17 days to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to support the allegations. A final hearing is required within the following two months.
