A U.S. Coast Guard rescuer saved 165 people during the severe Texas floods over the July 4 weekend.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Scott Ruskan, 26, from Oxford, New Jersey, was deployed to Camp Mystic, a girls’ summer camp on the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, after a storm caused the river to surge over 20 feet in just 90 minutes, flooding the area and stranding more than 700 campers and staff.
The mission marked Ruskan’s first rescue deployment.
He joined the Coast Guard in 2021 and, after completing basic training, attended Aviation Survival Technician School in Petaluma, California. He was later stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas. Since November, he had been on call, training on the Coast Guard’s MH-65 helicopter and completing advanced rescue swimming courses in preparation for deployment.
As the sole triage coordinator at the site, Ruskan helped organize helicopter evacuations when flooding rendered roads impassable and strong currents made boat rescues impossible.
“This is what it’s all about, right? Like, this is why we do the job,” Ruskan told the New York Post. “This is why we take those risks all the time. This is why like Coast Guard men and women are risking their lives every day.”
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem praised Ruskan’s actions in a post on X, calling him “an American hero” whose “selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the U.S. Coast Guard.”
United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Petty Officer Scott Ruskin, directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central Texas.
This was the first rescue mission of his career and he was the only triage coordinator at the scene.
Scott Ruskin is…
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) July 6, 2025
The White House’s official account also praised Ruskan on X, writing: “Scott Ruskan and his aircrew saved 165 lives on their first mission during the Texas floods. From the U.S. Military to first responders and volunteers — these brave Americans remind us who we are. When disaster strikes, they don’t run from the storm. They run into it.”
Scott Ruskan and his aircrew saved 165 lives on their first mission during the Texas floods.
From the U.S. Military to first responders and volunteers — these brave Americans remind us who we are.
When disaster strikes, they don’t run from the storm. They run into it. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/2YhH9Z9T91
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 7, 2025
Authorities said on Monday that 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic died in the flooding. Nearly a dozen campers remain missing.
Overall, the devastating floods in Texas Hill Country have claimed more than 100 lives.
