Patrick Marsh returned to the Bubble Inn cabin at Camp Mystic and sat where his 8-year-old daughter, Sarah Marsh Heaven, had slept, looking out the window toward rising floodwaters that engulfed the Texas camp during the July 4, 2025, disaster. He said safety from the flooding that took Sarah’s life was only a short walk away. “From where Sarah slept to high ground where she would have been safe — 50 yards. All they had to do was walk up a hill,” Patrick Marsh said in an interview. He also said he believes the tragedy was “100% preventable.”
Sarah Marsh of Birmingham, Alabama, was one of 27 campers and counselors who died when floodwaters overran cabins at the Texas camp. In the aftermath, grieving parents pushed lawmakers in Texas to approve new camp-safety requirements, including detailed emergency plans and emergency warning systems. With those changes taking shape in Texas, the Marsh family has turned to Alabama and other states with what they say are similar gaps in oversight.
Patrick Marsh said his review of what happened at Camp Mystic led him to conclude that multiple failures contributed to the loss of life. “As we learned more and more about what happened at Mystic, the more we realized there were a lot of things that went wrong,” he said. In the parents’ account, the key lesson is not just whether floods occur, but how camps prepare for them and what they do during the emergency. “The flood itself was an act of God, and there’s nothing you can do to stop the flood,” Patrick Marsh said, “But how you prepare for the possibility of flooding, how you handle it in the moment, those things were handled so poorly.”
The Marshes’ Alabama proposal is named the Sarah Marsh Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act. The bill would require camps to meet safety standards that include obtaining an emergency preparedness license from the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, and establishing emergency and evacuation plans. It would also prohibit cabins from being located in flood plains, in addition to requiring weather radios and an emergency notification system that does not rely on cellular or internet service, which could fail in a natural disaster.
“As we learned more and more about what happened at Mystic, the more we realized there were a lot of things that went wrong,” Patrick Marsh said—language he linked to his conviction that clearer preparation and execution could have changed the outcome for Sarah. He said the steps he described should have been in place. “Had they been done properly, he believes, ‘Sarah would be sitting in school right now.’”
In testimony before the House State Government Committee on Wednesday, Sarah’s mother, Dr. Jill Marsh, said she wants Sarah remembered for what she called her “incredible, beautiful life,” not only her death. She said the family’s goal is for Sarah’s legacy to be that children are protected while they experience the joys of summer camp. The committee advanced the bill, which is backed by Gov. Kay Ivey, to the full House of Representatives.
Rep. David Faulkner, the bill’s sponsor, said the Camp Mystic tragedy exposed gaps in the safety system that are not confined to Texas. “These gaps exist not only in Texas, but in Alabama and across the country,” Faulkner said. The Marshes said they are not trying to shut down camps, arguing instead that the standards proposed in the legislation focus on moving beyond the weakest practices. “We are not anti-camp,” Patrick Marsh said. “We want kids to go to camp and have these experiences. We just want them to be safe.”
The parents also said the legislation’s requirements should reflect local weather risks rather than applying a one-size-fits-all standard. They said the safety rules must account for threats that vary by region, including floods, tornadoes, wildfires and hurricanes. Dr. Jill Marsh said the family was surprised by what she described as the level of self-regulation in the camp industry compared with other child-safety responsibilities. “It was a big surprise, both in Texas and here, to see how little is required and is just self-regulated,” she said.
Sarah was the younger of two siblings, her parents said, and they described her as exuberant, with what they called “an infectious mix of sass and sweetness.” Patrick Marsh said she was excited about camp and that photographs from that summer show her “having the time of her life,” often showing off her splits during activities. The Marshes said she loved sushi, especially California rolls, candy, and “most of all, people,” adding that she made others feel special.
The Marshes acknowledged that nothing can bring their daughter back, but said they believe stronger oversight and clearer emergency-readiness requirements could prevent other families from suffering the same loss. “It’s about making sure that last 10% gets on board,” Patrick Marsh said, describing the aim as closing remaining gaps even where many camps already run comprehensive emergency plans and training.