The complaints filed against Mary Elizabeth Eastland allege that she abandoned campers and staff during the deadly floods last year and saved her own children.
KERRVILLE, Texas — The Texas Board of Nursing has temporarily suspended the license of the Camp Mystic chief health officer for her alleged actions during the floods.
The complaints filed against Camp Mystic Chief Health Officer Mary Elizabeth Eastland allege that she abandoned campers and staff during the deadly Fourth of July floods and saved her own children.
The Texas Board of Nursing also received complaints that she failed to make adequate emergency plans and protocols for campers, staff and nurses at the camp.
When floodwaters rose around 2 a.m. on July 4, 2025, the board details that Eastland allegedly evacuated herself and her children to higher ground without providing any assistance or direction to campers or staff.
She never called her nursing team and never contacted emergency services, even after learning people were missing.
She was grilled last month by the attorney representing the family of one of the campers who died.
“These were first-year campers,” Attorney Christina Yarnell said. “You had 34 more years of experience than Cile. She needed your help and you abandoned her, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” Eastland agreed.
After the flood, she allegedly waited nearly nine months to report the deaths, despite a state law requiring reporting within 24 hours.
In April, Camp Mystic announced it would not reopen this summer after so many families spoke out about how last year’s tragedy unfolded.
Camp Mystic also released this statement:
“This is a sad day for Mrs. Eastland as well as every licensed nurse in Texas. Mrs. Eastland has admirably committed herself to service of others for the last eighteen years. Yet the Texas Board of Nursing decided to summarily suspend her right to practice without the benefit of testimony, evidence or a complete investigation. Mrs. Eastland received notice of her summary proceeding less than twenty-four hours before it took place, and what followed had nothing to do with public protection. This was an exercise in premature punishment. But judgments should not precede process in an ordered system of justice. Mrs. Eastland rejects the Board’s allegations and looks forward to defending her rights before the State Office of Administrative Hearings.”