Parents Dropped 8-Year-Old Off at Sleepaway Camp Last Summer. That Was the Final Time They’d ‘Ever Hold Her’: Lawsuit

The parents of 8-year-old Cecilia “Cile” Steward — the only camper still unaccounted for after last year’s deadly Camp Mystic flooding — have filed a wrongful death lawsuit accusing the Texas all-girls summer camp of negligence and gross negligence.

“On June 29, 2025, Will and CiCi Steward dropped their eight-year-old daughter Cile off for her first time at sleepaway camp, an entire month at Camp Mystic, where Cile’s mother, aunt, grandmother, and countless cousins had attended as campers and counselors,” the complaint states. “Cile’s parents did not know that when they kissed Cile goodbye, it would be the last time they would ever hold her.”

Filed this week in Travis County court, the lawsuit alleges the camp failed to act responsibly despite multiple flood warnings — and that those failures contributed to their daughter’s death.

Allegations of delayed response and failed safety systems

According to the complaint, Camp Mystic received a flash flood warning at approximately 1:14 a.m. local time while Cile was asleep. The parents allege that camp co-owner Richard Eastland, who also died in the storm, did not treat the warning with the urgency it required and instead focused on moving the camp’s canoes to higher ground.

The lawsuit claims that even as floodwaters rose and further alerts came in, camp leadership did not begin evacuating certain cabins near the Guadalupe River until around 3:00 a.m. By then, the filing alleges, “it was chaos.”

The Stewards also argue the camp lacked the kind of communication infrastructure needed in an emergency — including reliable cell service, walkie talkies in every cabin, and working speakers or sirens. Instead, they say, campers and counselors were left dependent on the Eastlands to tell them whether they were in danger.

The complaint further alleges the only instruction Cile and her counselor received was to remain in the cabin — an order the parents describe as a fatal mistake.

“Cile did exactly what she had been ordered to do,” the complaint claims. “She stayed in her cabin. She waited for instructions from ‘the office’ or her counselors to receive instructions from ‘the office.’ With each passing minute, her escape routes narrowed.”

“Completely avoidable,” family claims

The lawsuit claims Cile and two other campers managed to get out on an inflatable mattress, but that Cile eventually “fell off.”

Her parents say they believe she may have reached a tree where some survivors were later found, but allege the current was “too strong” and she was ultimately swept away.

“Cile’s death was a tragedy, not only because it was tragic, violent and horrifying for her but because it was also completely avoidable,” the complaint states. “Camp Mystic was the only camp on the Guadalupe River where children died. Other camps received the same warnings. They evacuated. Every child lived.”

The filing also alleges that while camp leadership has described the flood as unprecedented, there is a long and well-known history of flooding in the area.

Camp Mystic responds

In a statement, an attorney for Camp Mystic said the camp disputes what it called inaccurate claims in the lawsuit.

“We empathize with the families of the campers and counselors and all families in the Hill Country who lost loved ones in the horrific and unprecedented flood of July 4,” attorney Mikal Watts said in a statement shared with CBS affiliate KHOU. “We are devastated by the deaths of our campers and counselors, and we continue to pray for God to comfort and support their families in their unfathomable grief.”

“We intend to demonstrate and prove that this sudden surge of floodwaters far exceeded any previous flood in the area by several magnitudes, that it was unexpected and unforeseeable, and that no adequate early warning flood systems existed in the area,” the statement added. “We will thoroughly respond to these accusations in due course.”

The Stewards are seeking damages in excess of $1 million.

The family speaks publicly

On Friday, Feb. 6, the Stewards appeared on the Today show to discuss the lawsuit, calling Camp Mystic — which is currently expected to reopen this summer — an alleged “active crime scene.” (No criminal charges have been brought in connection with the tragedy.)

Despite their anger toward camp leadership, the couple praised the counselors who were trying to protect and evacuate campers.

“The counselors are the heroes in any of these cabins,” Will Steward said. “The reason why there are any survivors from Cile’s cabin are because of these counselors. They were brave. They were strong.”

In total, more than 130 people were killed across central Texas during the catastrophic flooding.

Earlier lawsuits and the Stewards’ statement

The Stewards’ filing follows a lawsuit brought in November by families of five campers and two counselors, alleging Camp Mystic’s owners prioritized money over safety — CNN, NBC News and The New York Times reported.

The Stewards also shared a statement announcing the lawsuit:

“We are eternally grateful to Governor Abbott and Lt. Gov. Patrick and the EOC who have all tirelessly maintained their commitment to bringing our baby girl home,” they said. “Cile was taken from us 7 months ago and while we recognize this lawsuit will not bring her back, we feel compelled to ensure the truth of Camp Mystic’s failures are exposed.”