Clarke and Katie Baker of Beaumont filed the petition in Travis County District Court, seeking damages in excess of $1 million. Their daughter, Mary Grace Baker, was among 27 campers and counselors killed when floodwaters from the Guadalupe River overwhelmed the Kerr County summer camp in the early hours of July 4, 2025.

According to the court filing, Mary Grace arrived at Camp Mystic on June 29, 2025, for her first overnight camp experience. She was assigned to the "Twins I" cabin in an area known as "The Flats," a low-lying section adjacent to the river.

The lawsuit lays out a detailed timeline of that morning, alleging that despite a National Weather Service flash-flood warning issued at 1:14 a.m. and rapidly rising water, camp leadership failed to activate the camp's public address system, conduct a timely evacuation, or provide cabin counselors with communication devices or emergency equipment.

Instead, the petition claims, camp leadership prioritized moving canoes and waterfront equipment and ensured the safety of adult workers. Counselors in the younger cabins were allegedly instructed to "stay put" and place towels against incoming water. By the time evacuations began around 3 a.m., floodwaters had cut off access, and the Twins I cabin was overwhelmed, drowning the young campers inside.

The suit names numerous defendants, including Natural Fountains Properties, Camp Mystic LLC, executive directors, and other family members and operators. It accuses them of gross negligence, premises liability, breach of fiduciary duty, and violations of state youth camp safety regulations.

The filing notes that the debtor entities previously sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but a federal bankruptcy judge modified the automatic stay, allowing the Bakers to proceed with their lawsuit in state court. The plaintiffs are demanding a trial by jury.

The lawsuit comes as Camp Mystic's owners are seeking to sell the camp as part of a bankruptcy filing, and as the Texas Rangers continue a criminal investigation into the camp's preparation and response to the deadly flooding. A judge has signed search warrants in that probe, and a hearing over digital evidence has been postponed after a new prosecutor was appointed.

The Bakers' suit is among the first to move forward in state court following the bankruptcy ruling, and it could set a precedent for other families seeking accountability. For a community still grieving the loss of 27 children and counselors, the legal action raises urgent questions about whether the camp had adequate safety protocols and whether warnings were heeded in time to prevent tragedy.