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First Post
4 days ago
- General
- First Post
How US Coast Guard hero saved 165 children from Texas flooding on first mission
Scott Ruskan, a US Coast Guard rescue swimmer, is being hailed as an 'American Hero' after he saved as many as 165 children from catastrophic flooding at Camp Mystic in Texas. The 26-year-old New Jersey native, who was on his first rescue mission, was the only trained rescuer on the ground when tragedy struck read more Tecas floods: Scott Ruskan was the only trained rescuer on the ground, working without cell service or radio communication. Iage courtesy: Rider University When 26-year-old Scott Ruskan signed up as a rescue swimmer with the US Coast Guard, he knew he'd be saving lives. What he didn't know was that his very first mission would involve airlifting 165 children trapped by catastrophic flooding in Texas. Over the July 4 weekend, torrential rains triggered severe flooding across parts of central Texas. Among the worst-affected areas was Camp Mystic, a girls' camp located in Kerr County, where rising waters from the Guadalupe River left children and staff stranded with no way out. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD That's when Ruskan stepped in. Assigned to manage triage at the site, he was part of the dramatic rescue operation and was seen in footage being hoisted by helicopter from the rooftop of a building surrounded by floodwaters, reports the New York Post. He is now being hailed as an 'American Hero'. 'This is what it's all about, right? Like, this is why we do the job,' Ruskan, a native of New Jersey and former KPMG accountant, said. '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." Chaos at Camp Mystic According to Fox News, the rescue operation began when sudden floods cut off access to Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls located near the Guadalupe River, around 28 kilometres northwest of Kerrville, Texas. The river rose by a staggering 26 feet in just 45 minutes on Friday morning, sending a wall of water through the campgrounds packed with visitors during the holiday weekend. Nearly 200 people, including 165 children, found themselves stranded at the site. Emergency teams had a narrow window to act before the situation became even more dangerous. The Texas National Guard and Air National Guard deployed Black Hawk helicopters as part of the ongoing response. The rescue operation began when sudden floods cut off access to Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls located near the Guadalupe River, around 28 kilometres northwest of Kerrville, Texas. File image/AP What should have been a routine one-hour flight turned into a gruelling six-to-seven-hour mission, Ruskan told CNN. It took four separate attempts, and support from the Air National Guard, for their aircraft to reach the flood-hit zone. From above, Ruskan said he could see the full impact of the flooding. 'I've never seen anything this tragic in my life,' he told CNN. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This video of the Guadalupe was shot in Kerrville, Tx from the Center Bridge. Watch how fast these flood waters were traveling & washing everything in front of it out. It goes from low & barley flowing to over the top of the bridge in around 35 minutes. I sped the video up to… — Clyp Keeper (@DGrayTexas45) July 6, 2025 'I saw a huge crowd of about 200 kids at a campsite,' Ruskan recalled during his appearance on Fox & Friends on July 5. 'We were like, 'Cool, that's where we're going to go and get as many people out as we can.'' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The dramatic rescue Upon reaching the camp, the Coast Guard crew realised they were urgently needed at another, more dangerous site. The aircraft could carry more people if Ruskan stayed behind, so the team made a call; he would remain at Camp Mystic as the triage coordinator. For the next three hours, Ruskan was the only trained rescuer on the ground, working without cell service or radio communication. Still, he focused solely on the kids, many of whom were barefoot, frightened, and still in their pyjamas after fleeing their bunks. A cabin was destroyed by flooding at Camp Mystic. Reuters 'They're having probably the worst day of their life,' he said. 'They're missing friends. They're missing loved ones. They don't know where they are.' While coordinating triage and keeping kids calm, he also directed Army Blackhawk 60s and Coast Guard MH-65 helicopters to small groups of stranded survivors. Military personnel carry life jackets as they arrive to assist with a recovery effort at Camp Mystic. AP Aircraft landed on makeshift helipads, the camp's archery and soccer fields, and Ruskan carefully guided groups of 10 to 15 children, along with at least one adult, to safety. 'My main job was triaging, and then my second job I kind of picked up was just trying to comfort these kids and the family members and counsellors,' he told CNN. Despite the massive rescue efforts, 27 people, including campers and counsellors, died in the floods. At least 10 campers and one counsellor remain missing, as per Fox News. 'So we basically got the majority of the people out of Camp Mystic, which is awesome. And I feel like we did a lot of good that day, but obviously it's still super sad,' he told The New York Post. 'There's still a lot of people missing and unaccounted for, so the mission's not over yet. It's not over for us." STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'An American hero' Scott Ruskan grew up in Oxford, New Jersey, and didn't start out in the world of rescue. In fact, he was once a KPMG accountant before deciding to make a big career switch. In 2021, Ruskan joined the US Coast Guard. He completed basic training and then attended Aviation Survival Technician (AST) school in Petaluma, California, one of the most demanding military training programs in the country, according to a report by the New York Post. After graduation, he was stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he continued his advanced training and learned to operate with the MH-65 Dolphin helicopter. The recent Texas floods marked his very first real-life rescue mission. The scale of the mission and Ruskan's role in it quickly caught national attention. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem praised him on social media, calling him an 'American hero.' 'United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Petty Officer Scott Ruskan 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,' Noem wrote. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But Ruskan, now hailed as a hero, was quick to shift the spotlight. 'The real heroes, I think, were the kids on the ground,' he said. 'Those guys are heroic. They were dealing with some of the worst times of their lives, and they were staying strong, and that helped inspire me to get in there and help them out.' With input from agencies
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
People are making a difference among the tragedy of the central Texas floods
Devastating floods hit multiple counties in central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend, killing over 100 people with more still missing. But among the devastation and tragedy there have been moments of hope as residents have been saved and others have jumped in to help with clean-up and search and rescue operations. Here are three stories of people who have worked to help save those affected by the floods. Scott Ruskan is a 26-year-old rescue swimmer with the U.S. Coast Guard who helped rescue around 165 people during his first mission with the Coast Guard, per CBS. On Friday, Ruskan and his team were flown from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Camp Mystic in Kerr County which had been devastated by flooding. There were hundreds of people trapped at Camp Mystic, but the rest of the team was called to a different more dangerous area. 'We decided the best course of action was to leave me there,' Ruskan said, according to CBS. Over the course of three hours, Ruskan was the only rescuer in the area and he spent the time setting up triage and comforting many girls at the camp. He said he pushed aside any fear that he had to focus on those he needed to help. 'They're having probably the worst day of their life. They're missing friends. They're missing loved ones,' he said, per CNN. 'They don't know where they are. Some of them may be unaccounted for. Some of them may be somewhere else.' Eventually, Texas Air National Guard aircraft arrived at the area and Ruskan was able to lead the children in groups of 10 to 15 to the aircraft. He focused on getting the youngest children out first and even carried some of them. In the end, Ruskan helped rescue around 165 campers, per CNN. Ten years ago, Jonathan McComb lost his wife and two children in floods in Wimberley, Texas, similar to the tragedy that struck this year. 'This one hits a little bit more at home,' McComb said, according to USA Today. 'I can see the hurt and the pain in the families. I know what they're going through and what they're feeling and what they're going to feel.' In 2015, McComb and his family were vacationing in Wimberley when waters from the swelling Blanco River carried the home they were staying in downstream. McComb was the sole survivor of his family after his wife and children were swept from his grasp. McComb has spent the last four days as a volunteer with TEXSAR working to clear the mountains of debris that cover parts of Kerr County following this year's devastating floods, according to NBC DFW. 'I think it's good for people to see that there's hope, through tragedy. That life can go on, and I'm here to help do whatever I can for those people. Because they're going through the worst part of their lives right now, and I did that. I know exactly how they feel,' he said, per NBC DFW. David Chambers received a phone call on Friday telling him that the Guadalupe river was rising and that floods were coming. He quickly drove to his RV park in Center Point to evacuate the guests he had staying there. When he arrived the water was starting to spill over the banks of the river, per USA Today. As the heavy rain fell on him, Chambers and one of his employees knocked on all the doors of his RV resort, the Guadalupe Keys Resort, until all 15 people who had rented units were evacuated. 'You got to get out!' he yelled as the evacuation took place. Just minutes later, the park was completely covered by water and RVs were being flipped over and moved, some of them smashing into trees and other being pushed miles downstream. Chambers received the warning about the floods just around 30 minutes before water filled the RV park, according to USA Today.
Global News
5 days ago
- Climate
- Global News
Coast guard swimmer saves 169 lives in Texas floods on first-ever rescue
A U.S. Coast Guard swimmer is being hailed a hero after rescuing 169 people from flash flooding at Camp Mystic in Texas during a natural disaster that has devastated communities across the state. At about 7 a.m. on Friday, Scott Ruskan, 26, was on duty at an air station in Corpus Christi, Texas, when his team was called in to respond to raging floods in central Texas. During an interview on Good Morning America on Monday, Ruskan said he 'just happened to be on the duty crew' when the call came in, and treacherous weather conditions turned what should have been a 60-minute flight from Corpus Christi to Hunt into an hours-long ordeal. After navigating a difficult journey, the team established a triage site at Camp Mystic, a century-old all-girls camp along the Guadalupe River, and stationed Ruskan there, while helicopters landed and took off to transport survivors to safety. Story continues below advertisement Camp Mystic was ravaged by the flooding, which claimed the lives of 27 campers, including children. View image in full screen A view of Camp Mystic, the site where at least 20 girls went missing after flash flooding in Hunt, Texas, on July 5, 2025. RONALDO SCHEMIDT / RONALDO SCHEMIDT / Getty Images 'I kind of discovered I was the only person there as far as first responders go. So I had about 200, kids mostly. All scared, terrified, cold, having probably the worst day of their life. And I just kind of needed to triage them, get them to a higher level of care, and get them off the flood zone,' he told Good Morning America. Ruskan worked with members of the U.S. Army National Guard to execute the rescue. The young first responder said the team established two landing zones, one on an archery field and another on a football field. Ruskan would guide groups of mostly children and some adults to the helicopters, which would then fly them out to secondary safe zones with more resources. Story continues below advertisement Ruskan finished his training with the coast guard just six months ago; the Texas floods were his first rescue mission. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Coast guard rescue swimmers get some of the highest-level training in the world. So really just kind of relied on that, just knowing that any of the rescue swimmers in the coast guard would have done the exact same, if not better than me,' he said. View image in full screen Search and recovery workers dig through debris looking for any survivors or remains of people swept up in the flash flooding at Camp Mystic on July 6, 2025, in Hunt, Texas. Jim Vondruska / Getty Images Ruskan also said he felt motivated to do his job by the trust the children put in him. Story continues below advertisement 'They don't really know what my experience is or my rank or my age … they just know, 'Hey this guy is a professional, and he's here to help us.' And I kind of had to live up to that standard,' he said. While Ruskan has been praised for offering a glimpse of hope to affected Texans during an unprecedented natural disaster, he says 'the kids on the ground' are the real heroes. 'Those guys are heroic, and they were dealing with some of the worst times of their lives, and they were staying strong. That helped inspire me to get in there and help them out,' he added. View image in full screen A view inside a cabin at Camp Mystic, the site where at least 20 girls went missing after flash flooding in Hunt, Texas, on July 5, 2025. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFRONALDO SCHEMIDT / Getty Images Ruskan told the New York Post that rescuers were able to get the majority of people trapped in Camp Mystic out, but that there were still many missing and that the mission was far from over. Story continues below advertisement Texas Sen. Ted Cruz wrote on Facebook on Tuesday that he had met with Ruskan and he was 'eternally grateful' for his service. The death toll from the floods passed 100 on Monday, as search and rescue teams continued to search for survivors, including 10 Camp Mystic girls and one counsellor who are still unaccounted for. 'We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls,' the camp said in a statement. Searchers have found the bodies of 84 people, including 28 children, in the county home to Camp Mystic and several other summer camps, officials said. Among the deceased is the camp's owner, Richard Eastland. — With files from The Associated Press
Indianapolis Star
5 days ago
- General
- Indianapolis Star
Coast Guard rescue swimmer saves nearly 200 from Texas floods in first mission
A U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer is being called an American hero by many after he rescued nearly 200 people from the deadly floods that took place in Texas the weekend of July 4th. '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.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Climate
- USA Today
Coast Guard rescue swimmer saves nearly 200 from Texas floods in first mission
A U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer is being called an American hero after he rescued nearly 200 people from the deadly floods that took place in central Texas the weekend of July 4th. '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. United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Petty Officer Scott Ruskin, directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central was the first rescue mission of his career and he was the only triage coordinator at the Ruskin is… Texas floods cause devastation Over the weekend, storms inundated 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 details his first rescue 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." Who is Petty Officer Scott Ruskan? 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. Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn,X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@
