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AUSTIN, Texas — <\/span>One of the directors of Camp Mystic<\/a>, the all-girls Christian camp along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country, offered a tearful apology Tuesday to the families of the 25 campers and 2 counselors killed in a 2025 flood.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe tried our hardest that night. It wasn\u2019t enough to save your daughters,\u201d said Edward Eastland, a member of the family that owns the 100-year-old camp. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n Eastland\u2019s apology came as dozens of the girls’ family members sat just a few feet behind him during the second day of a special legislative hearing looking into the devastating July 4 flood. A written report of findings is expected later this year.<\/p>\n Eastland said he and his father Richard Eastland were on the campsite that night, and that they made a desperate attempt to save the girls when they realized that heavy rain had created a raging flood that ripped through the camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River. Richard Eastland died in the flood and Edward survived only after being swept into a tree.<\/p>\n \u201cThese girls (who died) were our youngest campers and their amazing counselors who we watched grow up,\u201d Eastland said. \u201cThe world was a better place with them in it and the anger at us for not being able to keep them safe is completely reasonable.\u201d<\/p>\n Britt Eastland, another director, said the camp will train counselors and stage drills for campers to prepare for floods, fire, tornadoes and intruders. Legislative investigators on Monday<\/a> noted the camp\u2019s previous lack of training as a critical problem that contributed to the deaths.<\/p>\n “All of these things should have been being done in the first place,\u201d said Sen. Charles Perry.<\/p>\n Camp Mystic families are expected to testify later in the day.<\/p>\n