US Coast Guard rescue swimmer saves 165 people from Texas floods

A 26-year-old Coast Guard rescue swimmer saved 165 people during his first mission amid the deadly Texas flood disaster, and many are calling him a national hero.

Scott Ruskan was deployed to Camp Mystic — an all-girls Christian summer camp — on the morning of July 4, after the Guadalupe River surged 26 feet in just 45 minutes. According to ABC News, the flood has killed nearly 90 people, including 27 from Camp Mystic.

Ruskan, a 2021 graduate of Rider University in New Jersey, acted as the sole triage coordinator at the camp. He managed medical care for hundreds of campers.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem praised Ruskan’s actions on July 5, writing on X: “This was the first rescue mission of his career and he was the only triage coordinator at the scene.”

“His selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the @USCG,” Noem added.

Speaking to ABC News, Ruskan described the devastating conditions: “I had about 200 kids… all scared, terrified, cold, having probably the worst day of their life. And I just needed to triage them, get them to a higher level of care.” 

“There were 200 kids looking to someone for some sort of comfort and safety,” he added. “The real heroes, I think, were the kids on the ground. Those guys are heroic.” 

In a July 7 social media post, the White House commended Ruskan and his aircrew. 

“Scott Ruskan and his aircrew saved 165 lives on their first mission during the Texas floods,” the post stated. “From the U.S. Military to first responders and volunteers — these brave Americans remind us who we are.”

“When disaster strikes,” the post concluded, "they don’t run from the storm. They run into it.”