CCTV RELEASED: 27 Children Seen Entering East Trail Behind Texas Camp—Only 3 Listed on Official Logbook

On July 10, 2025, authorities released CCTV footage from Camp Mystic, a Christian all-girls summer camp in Kerr County, Texas, devastated by a catastrophic flash flood on July 4. The footage, captured by a camera near the camp’s east trail, shows 27 children entering the trail shortly before the floodwaters surged, yet only three were listed on the official logbook for that trail activity. This revelation, amid a series of eerie discoveries at the flood-ravaged camp, deepens the mystery surrounding the tragedy that has claimed at least 120 lives, including 27 campers and counselors, with 161 people, including five campers and one counselor, still missing. The footage raises critical questions about the camp’s oversight and the fate of the unlogged children, as rescuers continue to probe undocumented drainage tunnels and analyze haunting artifacts uncovered in the aftermath.

The Flood’s Catastrophic Toll

The July 4 flash flood, fueled by 10 inches of rain in hours, caused the Guadalupe River to rise 26 feet in 45 minutes, obliterating cabins like Cabin 6, damaging others like Cabin 3 and Cabin 4, and scattering debris across the Texas Hill Country. Camp Mystic, a century-old institution hosting approximately 550 girls at the time, per a June 2 health inspection report, was left in ruins. As of July 10, Kerr County reports 95 deaths, including 36 children, with a statewide toll of 120 and 161 missing, including five campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic. Search efforts, involving over 500 personnel, helicopters, drones, and divers, have uncovered unsettling artifacts: a rusted whistle engraved “Cabin 6,” nine identical drawings of a shadowy figure, a schoolbook with “She knew,” five backpacks in a circle, a flashlight signaling “Down. Down. Down.,” and a photograph of a nonexistent treehouse with an unidentified girl.

The CCTV Footage: A Disturbing Revelation

The CCTV footage, recovered from a partially damaged camera positioned at the trailhead of the east trail—a wooded path leading toward the Guadalupe River—was released by the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office on July 10. Timestamped at 11:47 p.m. on July 3, roughly 90 minutes before the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning at 1:14 a.m., the grainy video shows 27 girls, aged approximately 8 to 14, walking single-file onto the trail. They appear to be unaccompanied by counselors, carrying flashlights and wearing Camp Mystic T-shirts. The group moves purposefully, some glancing back as if aware of being watched.

The camp’s official logbook, partially recovered from the flood-damaged administrative office, lists only three girls—identified as campers from Cabin 3—for a supervised stargazing activity on the east trail that night. The discrepancy between the 27 girls on camera and the three logged has stunned investigators. None of the 27 can be definitively identified due to the footage’s low resolution, but facial recognition efforts are underway to match them with camp records. The absence of counselors in the footage raises questions about whether the girls were part of an unauthorized excursion or a clandestine activity not reported to camp staff.

Theories and Implications

The CCTV footage has sparked intense speculation about the girls’ purpose and fate. One theory suggests the 27 girls were involved in an impromptu or secret outing, possibly a camp tradition or dare, that went undocumented. Survivors like Elinor Lester, 13, described the camp’s vibrant culture but mentioned no known nighttime trail activities beyond supervised events. The lack of counselors in the footage supports the idea of an unsanctioned venture, but the group’s size and organization suggest coordination, possibly by an older camper or an unknown figure.

Another hypothesis links the footage to the camp’s mysterious artifacts. The flashlight found 146 meters from the food hall, signaling “Down. Down. Down.” in Morse code, may indicate the girls were heading toward the undocumented drainage tunnels discovered post-flood. The schoolbook’s “She knew” and the photograph’s unidentified girl could point to a camper with knowledge of the tunnels or a hidden event, perhaps leading the group to the trail. The drawings of a shadowy figure beneath Cabin 4 and the backpacks’ perfect circle suggest a ritualistic or symbolic act, possibly connected to the girls’ nighttime journey.

A more troubling theory posits external involvement. The military-grade paper in the drawings and the undocumented tunnels hint at a historical or covert presence on the camp’s 725 acres, potentially linked to nearby Fort Sam Houston. The unidentified girl in the Cabin 3 photograph, absent from camp records, could be a key figure—perhaps the “she” who “knew” of the tunnels or trail. Some X posts speculate about a “river guardian” or supernatural entity, though authorities dismiss these as unhelpful rumors fueled by grief.

The footage also raises questions about Camp Mystic’s oversight. The camp’s emergency plan, inspected on June 2, 2025, included flood protocols but no mention of trail cameras or nighttime monitoring. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly admitted the county lacked a flood warning system, stating, “No one knew a flood of this magnitude was coming”. The unlogged girls suggest gaps in supervision, as counselors, many of them teenagers, were overwhelmed during the flood, guiding campers to safety through windows and across bridges.

InvestigativeEfforts

The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Rangers, and FBI are analyzing the CCTV footage frame by frame, using facial recognition to identify the 27 girls. The camera’s survival, despite flood damage, is attributed to its elevated position, but its data was partially corrupted, limiting clarity. Investigators are cross-referencing the girls’ clothing and flashlights with camp-issued gear and personal items recovered from the debris. The east trail, now partially washed out, is being searched for traces of the group, with drones mapping its path to the river and tunnels.

Divers continue to explore the drainage tunnels, which predate the camp and may have channeled floodwaters unpredictably. The tunnels’ absence from blueprints has prompted a review of historical land records, with archaeologists examining potential ties to early 20th-century mining or military activity. Forensic teams are also linking the footage to other artifacts, testing the flashlight’s programming, the photograph’s authenticity, and the schoolbook’s handwriting for matches with campers or staff.

Community and Emotional Impact

The Camp Mystic community, already reeling from the loss of campers like Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence, Lila Bonner, and Janie Hunt, is shaken by the footage. Parents like Carrie Hanna, whose daughter Hadley remains missing, expressed anguish: “Seeing those girls on the trail, not knowing who they are—it’s heartbreaking”. Survivors like Sophie, the 8-year-old who asked Dana Perino for a bedtime story, cling to hope, but the footage has intensified fears of what the missing endured. At a July 9 vigil in Kerrville, families prayed for answers, with some linking the footage to the photograph’s unidentified girl, calling her a “guide” for the lost.

On X, posts range from pleas for information to theories about the tunnels or a cover-up, with one user writing, “27 girls don’t just vanish into the woods without someone knowing.” Authorities, led by Sheriff Larry Leitha, urge the public to avoid speculation, citing prank calls complicating the search. The camp, grieving its director Dick Eastland, who died saving campers, issued a statement: “We are heartbroken and cooperating fully with authorities to understand this footage”.

Broader Implications

The CCTV footage underscores systemic failures exposed by the flood. The Texas Hill Country, known as “Flash Flood Alley,” has seen a 20% increase in heavy rainfall since the 1950s due to climate change, yet Camp Mystic’s flood protocols and Kerr County’s lack of sirens were inadequate. The unlogged girls highlight oversight gaps, with questions mounting about why 24 campers were unaccounted for in the logbook. Governor Greg Abbott, who visited the camp on July 5, vowed to find every missing girl, but the footage suggests some may have been beyond reach when the flood hit.

The artifacts—whistle, drawings, schoolbook, backpacks, flashlight, photograph, and now the footage—form a haunting puzzle. The phrase “Down. Down. Down.” and the tunnels suggest the girls may have sought refuge underground, while the photograph’s nonexistent treehouse and the drawings’ shadowy figure hint at a deeper mystery, possibly tied to the camp’s history or an external presence. As divers probe the tunnels and forensic teams analyze the footage, the 27 girls on the east trail remain a focal point of a tragedy that continues to unravel secrets along the Guadalupe River.