Coast Guard rescue swimmer saves nearly 200 from Texas floods in first mission
'This was the first rescue mission of his career, and he was the only triage coordinator at the scene,' Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Saturday on X. 'His selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the @USCG.'
U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Ruskan, an aviation survival technician 3rd class stationed in Corpus Christi, directly saved 165 people from rising floodwaters in Kerr County, said Noem.
Over the weekend, storms inundated central Texas with rain, leading to flash floods and at least 104 deaths, including at least 27 children and counselors at an all-girls Christian camp, Camp Mystic.
The torrential rains caused the Guadalupe River to surge 26 feet in just 45 minutes, washing away homes, cars and entire campgrounds.
In Kerr County, Texas, which was most impacted by the floods, at least 56 adults and 28 children were killed.
Ruskan was sent to Camp Mystic, where he found himself alone with close to 200 children who were "all scared, terrified, cold, having probably the worst day of their lives," Ruskan said in an interview with Good Morning America.
'I saw a huge crowd of about 200 kids at a campsite,' he said during an appearance on 'Fox & Friends' on the morning of July 5. 'We were like, 'Cool, that's where we're going to go and get as many people out as we can.''
This was Ruskan's first rescue mission, he said.
"I really just relied on the training we get," said Ruskan. "Coast Guard rescue swimmers get some of the highest-level training in the world."
Ruskan, who grew up in New Jersey, graduated from Rider University in 2021.
Ruskan's LinkedIn page lists him as a rescue swimmer with the Coast Guard since 2022. His actions have drawn national attention as the region continues its recovery efforts.
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USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
What to know about John MacArthur, Grace Community Church pastor dead at 86
John MacArthur, the 86-year-old pastor of a Los Angeles megachurch, died after being hospitalized with pneumonia. Many are mourning the death of John MacArthur, a Southern California megachurch pastor known for his powerful preaching, prolific writing and willingness to wade into public controversies. MacArthur, 86, served as the spiritual leader of Grace Community Church in Los Angeles for decades and delivered thousands of sermons over the course of his career. He was known for his "careful study and verse-by-verse exposition of the Bible, with special attention devoted to the historical and grammatical background behind each passage," the church said. News of his death has sparked an outpouring of grief on social media. He is survived by his wife Patricia, their children, 15 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Here's what to know about John MacArthur: Where did John MacArthur preach? Since 1969, MacArthur has been pastor of Grace Community Church, located in the working-class community of Sun Valley, a neighborhood in Los Angeles County. How did John MacArthur die? MacArthur contracted pneumonia last week and was hospitalized, associate Pastor Tom Patton told the congregation at a July 13 service. On July 14, his church announced he had died. How did John MacArthur rise to fame? During the early days of MacArthur's leadership, the church said it doubled in size every two years. The 3,500-set auditorium was regularly packed for two morning worship services, according to the church, and thousands of members flocked to weekly fellowship groups and training programs. MacArthur reached an even wider audience by writing nearly 400 books and study guides. The "cornerstone resource of his ministry" was The MacArthur Study Bible, his church said. MacArthur also served as president of Grace to You, a nonprofit organization responsible for distributing his books as well as radio and television programs that air daily across the world. All 3,000 sermons delivered by MacArthur were made available on the Grace to You website. In the mid-1980s, MacArthur also became chancellor of The Master's University and Seminary, a four-year liberal arts Christian college in Santa Clarita, California, and founded The Master's Seminary, a graduate school that trained men in pastoral and missionary work. John MacArthur stirred controversy MacArthur, like some other preachers across the U.S., catapulted into the public spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic when he hosted large gatherings despite city policies to limit congregations to small numbers outside. The church filed a lawsuit, arguing the restrictions infringed on religious freedom, and later said it received an $800,000 settlement from the state and county. MacArthur also released a video on social media saying Master's University would not require anyone to be vaccinated. "Something else you'll never hear at the Master's University is social justice, critical race theory, white privilege, white guilt, racial identity," he said in a 2021 YouTube video. "We don't teach that, we don't advocate that, that's not biblical." In a 2020 podcast, MacArthur said that he spoke with President Donald Trump about why Christians could not vote Democratic, the New York Times reported. 'There's no way that a Christian could affirm the slaughter of babies, homosexual activity, homosexual marriage or any kind of gross immorality," he said, according to the outlet. Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund and James Powel, USA TODAY
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Christian coffee shop owner helping homeless faces protests in Colorado
Jamie Sanchez has felt a calling to serve the homeless ever since he was a child. But he never imagined that following that calling would lead to him being labeled a bigot. 'It was really strange, actually, because we all of a sudden started getting like messages on Instagram about how we hate gay people and just like random comments like that,' Sanchez told Fox News Digital. 'And come to find out there was like an organized group ready to protest the opening of our café before we even open. We did some digging, and we found out it was strictly because we were Christian.' Sanchez is the owner of The Drip Café in Denver, located in the Art District on Santa Fe Drive. He also runs a homeless ministry called 'Recycle God's Love,' that he started in 2012 with his late wife, Carolyn, who died from cancer in 2018. What began as a small group offering Bible studies and meals to the homeless has grown into a widespread community initiative, involving churches, local businesses, and volunteers, providing hundreds of people with everything from haircuts to food to clothing and housing. 5 Christian coffee shop owner helping homeless faces protests in Colorado. Jamie Sanchez 5 Protestors holding signs outside The Drip Café. Jamie Sanchez 'Over the years, it has just grown into just an amazing community of believers and people who really have a heart to help people who are in need and to do it selflessly,' Sanchez told Fox News Digital. In 2022, Sanchez took the ministry a step further by launching 'Project Revive,' a faith-based initiative designed to support homeless individuals seeking to rebuild their lives. The program helps the homeless access housing, transportation, identification, addiction counseling, and jobs — grounded in Christian discipleship. As part of this mission, Sanchez opened The Drip Café the next year. It's a regular coffee shop that also hires and mentors individuals who have completed the ministry's program, and are sober and ready to reintegrate into the workforce. 'We've had a few people go through the project so far, and it's been very successful,' he said. However, even before The Drip Café opened its doors, Sanchez says they began receiving social media messages accusing the café of being anti-gay. On the opening day, protesters, organized by a local group called the Denver Communists, held signs and passed out flyers accusing the coffee shop of being run by a 'right-wing church' that hated those in the LGBTQ community. 5 As part of this mission, Sanchez opened The Drip Café the next year. Jamie Sanchez 'I was in shock,' Sanchez recalled. 'Our whole purpose opening the café was to serve the homeless community and help people get off the street, change their lives. And here we got a group who just hates us because we're doing that, and we're Christian.' The group objected to Recycle God's Love calling homosexuality a sin in its beliefs section on its website. They protested outside the café every weekend initially. Now, about 10–20 people protest outside their shop every first Friday of the month during the area's art walk event. Despite attempts to engage with them peacefully, Sanchez says he's been met mostly with silence or shouting. He said protesters followed two elderly women into the store one time and screamed at a blind Christian DJ on another occasion. 'Here's this group trying to act inclusive, and they are harassing a Black blind guy in front of my café because he's Christian,' he said. His property has been vandalized, windows broken and 'Keep Santa Fe Gay' stickers have been left on windows and mirrors. Recently, a spray-painted image of a KKK member hanging was left on the café's front door. 5 He said protesters followed two elderly women into the store one time and screamed at a blind Christian DJ on another occasion. Recycle God's Love The Christian shop owner maintains he harbors no hatred toward the protesters. He sees the backlash as part of a spiritual battle. After finding no help from local authorities, he and his team chose to hold live worship music in the café every first Friday to help 'drown out' the commotion outside. 'I love them even though they don't believe me and I've never shown anything but love to them and that's why the only pictures they have of me is praying for them,' he told Fox News Digital. 'I understand that they feel like they are having an identity crisis, and they might feel hopeless and lost and the only way to rectify that feeling is through the Son of God who is Jesus Christ.' The Denver Communists told Fox News Digital they were not protesting the café strictly because it is Christian, but because of its religious beliefs on sexuality. 'There are plenty of Christian denominations that don't share their bigoted view, such as the ELCA [Evangelical Lutheran Church in America] and we've been joined by pastors and many Christians in our protests. Since then Drip has doubled down on its homophobic position,' a spokesperson for the group said. 'Jamie and his bigoted coffee shop don't have a monopoly on Christianity, but he sure is willing to try and profit off of it.' The communists say they view the protests as part of a 'broader struggle' against forces like the Trump administration, which they say is attacking LGBTQ+ rights. 5 The communists say they view the protests as part of a 'broader struggle' against forces like the Trump administration, which they say is attacking LGBTQ+ rights. Recycle God's Love 'We may not succeed in running the Drip out of town before the end of its lease, but that is ultimately irrelevant. The protests against the hate-café are serving as a training ground for new queer-rights activists, the message of queer liberation is being spread, and our ultimate victory, while delayed, is inevitable,' the group wrote in a blog post shared with Fox News Digital. The group also claimed Sanchez was affiliated with neo-Nazis and said they'd been subjected to slurs and threats by staff, which Sanchez adamantly denied. He disavowed any hate shown to the protesters by others outside his café and claimed the communists had spread lies about him and his shop. 'The communists have told me I'm not welcome, told me to kill myself, and my response is, 'I love you, and you are welcome to come in peacefully.' We have offered them free coffee and food on cold days,' he told Fox News Digital. 'It's very silly of them to say I am part of a Nazi group, considering I am a brown-skinned Hispanic.'
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Influential evangelical pastor John MacArthur dead at 86 after health battle
John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, died Monday at the age of 86 after a battle with pneumonia. 'Our hearts are heavy, yet rejoicing, as we share the news that our beloved pastor and teacher John MacArthur has entered into the presence of the Savior,' read a Monday-night post on the X account of 'Grace to You' which is MacArthur's media ministry. 'This evening, his faith became sight. He faithfully endured until his race was run.' Advertisement The announcement comes after associate pastor Tom Patton told congregants at a July 13 Sunday service that MacArthur had been hospitalized with the illness, according to The Roys Report. 'This week, Pastor John contracted pneumonia,' Patton previously said during the service. 'He was admitted into the hospital and may be in the presence of the Lord soon.' MacArthur began his work at Grace Community Church after graduating from Talbot Theological Seminary in 1969, according to the church's website. Throughout his time in leadership, the church's two morning worship services reportedly grew to fill the 3,500-seat auditorium to capacity, with thousands of members joining various training programs and fellowship groups. In 1985, MacArthur became president of The Master's University, a four-year, accredited liberal arts Christian college located in Santa Clarita. One year later, he founded The Master's Seminary, a graduate school specializing in preparing men for full-time pastoral roles and missionary work, according to Grace Community Church. Advertisement John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, died Monday at the age of 86 after a battle with pneumonia. John MacArthur MacArthur also served as president and featured teacher with Grace to You, a nonprofit organization specializing in the development and distribution of his audio recordings, books, and the 'Grace to You' television and radio programs. Additionally, MacArthur penned nearly 400 books and study resources, including The Gospel According to Jesus and Our Sufficiency in Christ, with his titles being translated into over two dozen languages, according to the church's website. The pastor previously made national headlines in 2020 after a California judge ruled the church could continue holding in-person services despite Gov. Gavin Newsom's statewide coronavirus restrictions. Advertisement MacArthur began his work at Grace Community Church after graduating from Talbot Theological Seminary in 1969, according to the church's website. Google Maps MacArthur had suffered from years of health complications, including a sudden onset of illness while preaching at a 2023 service. Since then, he has reportedly undergone multiple surgeries targeting atrial fibrillation and other conditions. However, his health reportedly continued to decline, with Patton telling members of the community that the pastor's recovery from 'three surgeries in the second half of 2024' was 'slower than expected,' and saw 'occasional setbacks affecting his heart, lungs, and kidneys.' Advertisement Earlier this year, MacArthur was hospitalized while undergoing a 'second procedure' on his lungs, the outlet reported. MacArthur is survived by his wife, Patricia, four children, and fifteen grandchildren.
