Editor’s Note: The above video shows when the mother of the only camper still missing from Camp Mystic spoke at the Texas Capitol in August 2025.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Wednesday, the parents of 8-year-old Cecilia “Cile” Steward, who is still missing from the Kerrville floods, posted a letter on social media calling for Camp Mystic to pause plans to reopen.
The camp announced Monday it would reopen next summer and build a memorial to the girls who died in the flooding.
In a letter addressed to the leadership of Camp Mystic, Cile’s parents, CiCi and Will Steward, said the announcement was made without prior consultation or consent from the families impacted.
“Our daughters and loved ones died under Camp Mystic’s supervision and care. One child—our child. 8-year-old Cile Steward—remains missing. Recovery teams are still out there every day, scouring the river—your backyard—risking their own safety to bring her home to us. Yet, instead of recognizing or highlighting that effort, you have not once mentioned her name or the fact that she is still missing,” the letter read.
The Steward’s letter said promoting the camp’s reopening “less than three months after the tragedy—while one camper remains missing—is unthinkable.”
The letter continued by saying the communication efforts of the camp treated their “never-ending nightmare” as a “brief pause” ahead of “resuming business as usual.”
“Had you paused to reflect—or simply consulted with any one of our families—you might have spared grieving families the additional anguish your decisions now cause. Instead, your communications have only intensified our grief,” the letter read.
The Stewards, on behalf of themselves and other families of the “Heaven’s 27,” called on Camp Mystic to stop all discussions of reopening and memorials until Cile is recovered.
The parents also said the camp must “fully confront and account for” its role in the events and the failures that led to the children’s deaths.
“Anything less dishonors the children who were killed while in your care—at a time when their safety was your primary responsibility,” the letter said. “Until then, our priority remains honoring the 27 lives lost and protecting future generations of campers. We will continue to advocate for reforms and demand full accountability.”
