The first emergency call regarding the historic Camp Mystic, situated along the Guadalupe River, was made at 3:57 a.m. on July 4, when a caller informed the dispatcher that she was trapped on a hill as water flooded nearby cabins. Simultaneously, the camp’s owner and his son were swept away by the rising river, as confirmed by the family’s attorney, along with several campers.
However, it wasn’t until 6:34 a.m. — over two hours later — that a captain from the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office sent the initial text to emergency response leaders, describing what he termed potential “issues” at Camp Mystic.
Throughout the morning, as access to the camp remained blocked, communications among the emergency response team displayed a lack of clarity and sometimes conflicting reports concerning the number of missing individuals. As darkness approached, officials were still grappling with the true extent of the disaster.
“NO confirmed dead bodies at Mystic, only searching,” Texas Ranger Chad Matlock messaged the group shortly before 7 p.m.
A trove of newly released text messages and emails, acquired through a public records request, reveal the chaotic exchanges among senior officials in the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office during the July 4 flooding.
The text thread included Sheriff Larry Leitha, County Emergency Management Coordinator William “Dub” Thomas, and other senior figures from the office, illustrating the confusion faced by those responsible for responding to a catastrophic natural disaster. This text thread seemed to be the primary channel for communication among the Sheriff’s Office leadership during the crisis, leaving the extent of other discussions via phone or in person unclear.
At least seven phone numbers among the group were not identified in official records. Matlock’s number was identified through his voicemail and confirmed by the Department of Public Safety.
Inquiries were sent to county officials regarding these communications, but no responses were received. Mikal Watts, attorney for Camp Mystic and the owner’s family, noted that the camp’s focus during the emergency was on caring for the survivors, determining the number of missing individuals, and depending on first responders to search downstream.
The newly obtained messages further illuminate the tragic timeline of the flooding.
The first warning about the impending disaster in Kerr County arrived at 2:52 a.m., when the general manager of a nearby inn alerted authorities to “a big flood coming.” Calls for help surged as the water levels increased.
Initially, dispatchers reassured anxious callers that rescue teams were on their way. However, around 3:50 a.m., one dispatcher admitted to a caller that assistance might not arrive in time.
At 4:40 a.m., a Code Red alert was sent to subscribers, advising: “IF YOU ARE IN THE HUNT AREA ALONG HIGHWAY 39 OR THE RIVER, EVACUATE THE AREA OR GET TO HIGH GROUND.” This alert reached 1,113 users, according to records.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly later mentioned that he did not wake until an hour or two after the alerts began. At 6:27 a.m., he emailed Thomas, the emergency management coordinator, who also testified about sleeping through the critical early hours of the flood. Kelly wrote: “Just checking in regarding storm damage. I’m at Lake Travis for the 4th but reports I’m getting and video footage I’ve seen from West Kerr looks like our drought finally broke. How bad is it there? What do we need to be doing?” He also noted that Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice informed him that Louise Hayes Park was submerged, questioning if it was time to declare an emergency.
Six minutes later, the text thread titled COMMAND CHAT – FloodEvent began among Kerr County Sheriff’s Office leaders, with Captain Clint Massingill, head of the criminal investigations division, already focused on Camp Mystic.
By this time, the river had surged to catastrophic levels in Hunt, downstream from Camp Mystic, and was expected to peak in Kerrville around 6:45 a.m. at over 35 feet, leading weather forecasters to warn of “extremely dangerous” conditions for several roads and bridges.
Captain Scott Prout, the patrol division director, informed the team that state game wardens were en route to the camp from Austin. Matlock inquired whether the 30 individuals reported were “missing or just stranded.”
Following these initial communications, officials faced significant challenges in determining the situation at the camp.
By this point, the river had receded in Kerrville from over 35 feet to just below 13 feet — still considerably high for a river that typically flows at one or two feet. Roads and bridges were known to flood at 13 feet, according to meteorologists.
Discussions among officials in the Sheriff’s Office text thread reflected a misunderstanding of the camp’s reality. The origin of the misleading information remained unclear.
Just over 20 minutes later, the officials acknowledged that some information might be incorrect.
County officials had been attempting to verify the number of missing individuals all morning and sought to deploy a helicopter to the area, according to the text messages. Prout shared updates regarding the missing persons at Camp Mystic.
At 11:05 a.m., Matlock noted that a helicopter was on its way to provide aerial insight into Camp Mystic, confirming he was airborne at 11:25 a.m.
Prior to noon, local officials convened their first press briefing. Kelly, the county judge, indicated he had “some numbers” regarding the missing and deceased, but refrained from sharing them until they could be fully confirmed. When questioned specifically about Camp Mystic, he admitted he did not know how many were missing. He advised parents seeking information about their children’s safety to “call the camp.”
Meanwhile, another flash flood emergency was declared for central Kerr County, including Hunt and Ingram. Concerns regarding the welfare of hundreds of children at Camp Mystic escalated to the state level, prompting inquiries from Governor Greg Abbott for updates.
The texts reveal that officials were requesting information about the camp from Matlock.
Matlock pointed out that phone lines were down and cell service was nonexistent at the camp. Officials debated the best approach for searching for the missing campers.
Approximately 11 hours after the first 911 call regarding the flooding, plans were made to evacuate what officials believed to be around 200 girls and reunite them with their families. However, there was disagreement over whether to prioritize evacuation or the search for the missing.
At around 3 p.m., local leaders including the sheriff and the Kerrville mayor held a second press conference, where Leitha stated they still did not have an exact count of the missing. He did, however, announce a total of 13 confirmed fatalities countywide. Officials declined to answer media questions, citing the rapidly evolving situation. A reporter shouted a question regarding Camp Mystic as they exited the podium, just before the live broadcast ended.
At 3:43 p.m., Abbott took to social media platform X to announce an air rescue operation, pledging to “not stop until everyone is accounted for.”
By 5:17 p.m., Massingill provided an updated estimate of the death toll, raising the total to 16.
At 5:51 p.m., Massingill inquired about the remaining children at Mystic in need of rescue, expressing that the Department of Public Safety believed that rescues had not yet commenced. Eight minutes later, he added, “sending additional birds to the area.”
Alex Monroe, currently a lieutenant with the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, sought to compile a list of the missing. Earlier, Matlock indicated he had a record of the missing children.
A few minutes later, Massingill communicated to the group that they could share his email address for families to send photographs and information.
No responses followed in the thread. The question was repeated two minutes later and asked again shortly thereafter.
Officials continued to coordinate efforts to transport children from Camp Mystic via SUVs or buses. Shortly after, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, another statewide official, requested information.
Not long after, officials seemed to obtain definitive numbers regarding the fatalities at Mystic.
In total, the flood resulted in 119 deaths across the county and caused hundreds of millions in property damage. Over 20% of the fatalities occurred at Camp Mystic, where 25 campers, two counselors, and camp owner and executive director Dick Eastland tragically lost their lives.
