Richard Eastland: Hero Camp Mystic Director Confirmed Dead While Trying to Save Young Girls During Devastating Texas Floods
At least 11 girls and one counselor remain missing from Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, after the rushing floodwaters tore through the private Christian summer camp for girls, claiming the lives of five campers. The death toll has climbed to 59, including 21 children, after the Guadalupe River rose as much as 30 feet above its normal level during Friday's flood.
Real Hero
Eastland had been part of the private Christian girls' camp since purchasing it in 1974 and had served as its director. The camp director's wife, Tweety, was found safe at their home, according to Texas Public Radio.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly told the Washington Post that Eastland, a father of four, died in a helicopter while being rushed to a hospital in Houston.
His nephew confirmed his death in a Facebook post.
"It doesn't surprise me at all that his last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers," The Kerrville Daily Times guest columnist and former camper Paige Sumner said in a tribute to Eastland.
"Dick was the father figure to all of us while we were away from home at Camp Mystic for six weeks.
"He was the father of four amazing boys, but he had hundreds of girls each term who looked up to him like a dad. I would never have taken a fishing class if it wasn't taught by my new friend Dick."
Family Devastated
Eastland used to teach fishing to the younger campers, and former attendees remembered him as a warm, grandfather-like presence. Both he and his wife were highly respected by the campers and were often spotted teaching or roaming around the campgrounds.
The couple has 11 grandchildren, and several of their children and their spouses are actively involved in running the camp.
Their eldest son, Richard, oversees the kitchen operations, while their youngest son, Edward, and his wife serve as directors of Camp Mystic Guadalupe River, as mentioned on the camp's website.
Both Eastland and his wife attended the University of Texas at Austin and live on the camp property.
Eastland represented the third generation of his family to lead the all-girls Christian summer camp, which was founded in 1926.
Eastland had previously battled and survived brain cancer, according to the Kerrville Daily Times. He also served on the Hunt Independent School District Board and was formerly a coach for both the West Kerr County Little League and the West Kerr County Little Dribblers, the outlet reported.
At least 23 girls from the camp are still unaccounted for.
Authorities have confirmed that the flood death toll has risen to 59, including 21 children who were swept away by the raging waters. At the time the flooding began on Friday, around 750 campers were present at the camp.
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International Business Times
15-07-2025
- International Business Times
Richard Eastland: Camp Mystic Owner Waited 45 Minutes to Evacuate Young Girls after Receiving 'Life-Threatening' Flash Floods Alert
Camp Mystic's co-owner waited for more than 45 minutes after receiving an emergency warning about the "life-threatening" flash floods before he started to evacuate the campers, it has been revealed. Richard "Dick" Eastland — who died trying to rescue young girls at his Hunt, Texas camp along the Guadalupe River — received the initial National Weather Service alert on his phone around 1:14 a.m., according to a family spokesperson who spoke to ABC News. However, he didn't start moving campers to higher ground at the private Christian camp for girls until around 2:00 a.m., just as conditions were rapidly getting worse. The alert came too late to save the girls from there. Too Late to Survive Richard Eastland Facebook "They had no information that indicated the magnitude of what was coming," the family spokesperson, Jeff Carr, said of the floods that killed 27 children and counselors. "They got a standard run-of-the-mill NWS warning that they've seen dozens of times before," Carr said. Eastland began using a walkie-talkie to coordinate with family members working at the camp right after receiving the alert, which did not include an evacuation warning, according to Carr. He added that they only started moving the campers to higher ground once they noticed the floodwaters rising rapidly. Carr said that the timeline—still considered preliminary—was put together based on conversations with Eastland family members who had worked at the camp and played a key role in the evacuation of the girls and the counselors. He insisted that the family choose to share this timeline publicly to avoid speculation and misinformation, following the tragic flash floods that took the lives of 27 children and camp staff. Died Saving Others Richard Eastland Facebook Eastland had been part of the private Christian girls' camp since purchasing it in 1974 and had served as its director. The camp director's wife, Tweety, was found safe at their home, according to Texas Public Radio. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly told the Washington Post that Eastland, a father of four, died in a helicopter while being rushed to a hospital in Houston. Eastland used to teach fishing to the younger campers, and former attendees remembered him as a warm, grandfather-like presence. Both he and his wife were highly respected by the campers and were often spotted teaching or roaming around the campgrounds. The couple has 11 grandchildren, and several of their children and their spouses are actively involved in running the camp. Their eldest son, Richard, oversees the kitchen operations, while their youngest son, Edward, and his wife serve as directors of Camp Mystic Guadalupe River, as mentioned on the camp's website. Both Eastland and his wife attended the University of Texas at Austin and live on the camp property. Eastland represented the third generation of his family to lead the all-girls Christian summer camp, which was founded in 1926.
Straits Times
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Straits Times
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- Straits Times
Archbishop of Canterbury could scale back global role to avert Anglican schism
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Anglican priest Charles Baczyk-Bell and his partner, Piotr Baczyk-Bell, walk through St John the Divine church in London, Britain, January 27, 2025. REUTERS/Muvija M/File photo LONDON - The Anglican Communion is exploring diluting the Archbishop of Canterbury's role as its central symbolic leader, in an attempt to prevent internal divisions over ordination of women and inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community from tearing apart the world's third-largest Christian faith. For centuries, the man who crowns British monarchs as the seniormost bishop in the Church of England, which formed after Henry VIII's 16th-century split from Rome, has also been the titular head of 85 million Anglicans across 165 countries. 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GAY CLERGY The disconnect in the Communion is felt acutely by gay clergy like Charles Bączyk-Bell in London, who had to marry his partner in an Anglican church in New York, as the CoE stands by its teaching that marriage is between a man and woman. He said he sometimes found it very difficult to hold together his identity with that of a CoE priest. "There was a sense of sadness that we couldn't do it around friends and family at home ... it's meant to be the day when you feel most at home," he said. Baines said the next Archbishop shouldn't be fearful, given they will inherit a "broken Communion." Bishop Joanne Grenfell supports a more collegiate model. "I feel passionate about the Anglican Communion, but the role of Archbishop of Canterbury, that's enormous," Grenfell said. "Perhaps a bit too big for one person." REUTERS
