Latest news with #TaskForce1
CBS News
30-07-2025
- General
- CBS News
Members of Minnesota task force share firsthand account of deadly Texas flooding aftermath
Crews in central Texas are still combing through debris, nearly a month after the tragic floods on July 4, which left at least 135 people dead. Search teams from around the country, including Minnesota, stepped up to help with search and recovery efforts after the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes. Minnesota Task Force 1, made up of primarily five agencies, just returned from a two-week mission in Texas. Now, team members are sharing their firsthand accounts of the natural disaster — both of heartbreak and heroism. "It's hard to process just how much water went through there in such a quick amount of time," search manager Brian Plantz said. "The amount of devastation and destruction down there is hard to describe. I was surprised to see the number of family photographs that we would find." Team members searched both sides of the river for about 100 miles with the help of their K-9s. "The dogs were rockstars; they were outstanding. Having the K-9s there to partner with, to have them able to clear those piles and definitively say that we can move past this, we can say there's no human remains inside that pile, was just critical to the mission," Plantz said. The dogs suffered fire ant bites and even a broken toe, but continued. Together with Task Force 1, they helped a community find some of what was lost. "The community down there was so appreciative of us and other task force members that were down there for the search and rescue," Plantz said. The team will have a few days to decompress, but members say they're ready for the next mission.
RNZ News
08-07-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
US Coast Guard rescue swimmer hailed as a hero after saving 165 kids from Texas flooding
By Zoe Sottile , CNN Scott Ruskan was deployed to Camp Mystic, where flooding killed 27 campers and counsellors. Photo: CNN via CNN Newsource It was Petty Officer Scott Ruskan's first mission as a US Coast Guard rescue swimmer. The 26-year-old was new to the Coast Guard. He had left a previous career as an accountant before enlisting, and had graduated from rescue swimming school around six months ago when his team got the call from Task Force 1, a local search-and-rescue team in Texas, early Friday morning (US time). They were needed urgently in central Texas where torrential flooding had struck over the July Fourth weekend. Dozens of people were dead, and more were missing. The team deployed around 7am Friday from Corpus Christi, about 200 miles (321km) south of where the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas, had risen from about 3 feet (0.9m) to nearly 30 feet (9.1m). Floodwaters in the area had swept through and battered several youth camps on the river banks - including Camp Mystic, the summer camp where they were headed. Around 200 campers at the all-girls Christian camp needed to be rescued, Ruskan said. With bridges and roadways overcome by floodwaters and the water too high for boat rescues, the only option was to airlift the girls. Counsellors and staff at Camp Mystic had been scrambling to rescue campers, pushing some through cabin windows and putting children on mattresses to help float on the rising water. More than a month's worth of rain dumped on the area, and floodwaters overtook the site. Hundreds of local, state and national first responders had surged to the Kerrville area to help find and rescue survivors. The ongoing urgent response includes Black Hawk helicopters deployed by the Texas National Guard and Air National Guard. What should have been a one-hour flight into the landing zone near the camp took about six or seven hours, Ruskan told CNN. The crew battled "some pretty, pretty nasty weather," he told CNN, some of the worst he had experienced in his career. It took the team four attempts and the help of the Air National Guard for the aircraft to make its way through the brutal storm, he said. From above, he could see firsthand the devastating flood and its effects on the landscape. "I've never seen anything this tragic in my life," he said. On the ground, Ruskan realized he was the only first responder around and was met with "about 200 kids, mostly all scared, terrified, cold, having probably the worst day of their life". But after arriving at Camp Mystic, Ruskan said, the crew was needed at another, more dangerous location. The aircraft could fit more people at the next site without him onboard, and Ruskan could help where he was. The crew decided leaving him behind at Camp Mystic as a triage coordinator at the "hectic" site was the best option. They were ultimately able to airlift 15 children at the other location without Ruskan on the aircraft. At the camp, Ruskan comforted the distressed children gathered into an area above the flood zone, and heard stories from camp counsellors who rushed to push campers out the door before cabins flooded. Some kids had cuts on their feet because they were barefoot. They didn't have time to put on shoes before they scrambled to safety. For around three hours, Ruskan said, he was the only rescuer on site and had no communication due to poor radio reception and no cell service. But any fear he had, he pushed aside to focus on his young charges. "They're having probably the worst day of their life. They're missing friends. They're missing loved ones," he said. "They don't know where they are. Some of them may be unaccounted for. Some of them may be somewhere else." He did his best to reassure the shell-shocked campers, promising he would get them out and that other rescuers were looking for their missing friends. Comfort "could be something as simple as holding their hand," he added. Texas Air National Guard aircraft landed at the camp's archery field and soccer field, and Ruskan led the children, about 10 to 15 at a time, to the aircraft. He focused on getting the youngest children out first. Ruskan helped rescue approximately 165 campers with him, carrying some to the helicopter to help them avoid slipping on wet rocks or cutting their feet even more. Despite rescuers' best efforts, 27 of the girls' Camp Mystic friends and counsellors died in the catastrophic floods, and 10 campers and one counsellor are still unaccounted for. The camp's longtime director Dick Eastman also died, trying to rescue campers. At least 100 people have died from the devastating floods. Ruskan said the magnitude of his effort had just started to sink in. The rescue swimmer has been hailed as an "American hero" by the Department of Homeland Security. The agency lauded the "extraordinary bravery and selfless service of Ruskan and his fellow first responders." But he said the other counsellors who helped rescue efforts and the tough kids were also heroes. Seeing how bravely they acted, he said, "it made me a better rescuer." - CNN
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania deploys rescue team to Texas amid deadly floods
(WHTM) — Gov. Josh Shapiro has activated Pennsylvania Task Force 1 to aid in recovery efforts after devastating floods in Texas. The governor made the announcement Monday, as the death toll from floods topped 100 people. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'These brave Pennsylvanians will be departing in the next 24 hours to support Texans in the aftermath of this horrific event,' Shapiro said in a statement. The task force, which is a part of the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System, can be deployed to disaster areas to provide assistance in structural collapse rescue. Around 70 wild animals rescued amid Texas flooding While based in Philadelphia, the task force is supported by agencies state-wide. Its 70 members specialize in search, rescue, medicine, hazardous materials, logistics and planning. Between 2015 and 2021, it supported at least 19 missions across the country, mostly involving hurricanes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
US Coast Guard rescue swimmer hailed as a hero after saving 165 kids from Texas flooding
It was Scott Ruskan's first mission as a US Coast Guard rescue swimmer. The 26-year-old had graduated from rescue swimming school around six months ago when his team got the call from Task Force 1, a local search-and-rescue team in Texas, early Friday morning. They were needed urgently in central Texas where torrential flooding had struck over the July Fourth weekend. Dozens of people were dead, and more were missing. The team deployed around 7 a.m. Friday from Corpus Christi, about 200 miles south of where the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas, had risen from about 3 feet to nearly 30 feet. Floodwaters in the area had swept through and battered several youth camps on the river banks — including Camp Mystic, the summer camp where they were headed. Around 200 campers at the all-girls Christian camp needed to be rescued, Ruskan said. With bridges and roadways overcome by floodwaters and the water too high for boat rescues, the only option was to airlift the girls. Counselors and staff at Camp Mystic had been scrambling to rescue campers, pushing some through cabin windows and putting children on mattresses to help float on the rising water. More than a month's worth of rain dumped on the area, and floodwaters overtook the site. Hundreds of local, state and national first responders had surged to the Kerrville area to help find and rescue survivors. The ongoing urgent response includes Black Hawk helicopters deployed by the Texas National Guard and Air National Guard. What should have been a one-hour flight into the landing zone near the camp took about seven or eight hours, Ruskan told ABC's Good Morning America. The crew battled 'some pretty, pretty nasty weather,' he told CNN, some of the worst he had experienced in his career. It took the team four attempts and the help of the Air National Guard for the aircraft to make its way through the brutal storm, he said. On the ground, Ruskan realized he was the only first responder around and was met with 'about 200 kids, mostly all scared, terrified, cold, having probably the worst day of their life.' But after arriving at Camp Mystic, Ruskan said, the crew was needed at another, more dangerous location. The aircraft could fit more people at the next site without him onboard, and Ruskan could help where he was. The crew decided leaving him behind at Camp Mystic as a triage coordinator at the 'hectic' site was the best option. They were ultimately able to airlift 15 children at the other location without Ruskan on the aircraft. At the camp, Ruskan comforted the distressed children, and heard stories from camp counselors who rushed to push campers out the door before cabins flooded. Some kids had cuts on their feet because they were barefoot. They didn't have time to put on shoes before they scrambled to safety. For around three hours, Ruskan said, he had no communication due to poor radio reception. But any fear he had, he pushed aside to focus on his young charges. 'They're having probably the worst day of their life. They're missing friends. They're missing loved ones,' he said. 'They don't know where they are. Some of them may be unaccounted for. Some of them may be somewhere else.' When the army helicopters were ready to take them to higher ground, Ruskan led the children, about 10 to 15 at a time, to the aircraft, he told ABC. Ruskan helped rescue all 165 campers with him, carrying some to the helicopter to help them avoid slipping on wet rocks or cutting their feet even more. But 27 of the girls' Camp Mystic friends and counselors died in the catastrophic floods, and 10 campers and one counselor are still unaccounted for. The camp's longtime director Dick Eastman also died, trying to rescue campers. At least 95 people have died from the devastating floods. Ruskan has been hailed as an 'American hero' by the Department of Homeland Security. The agency lauded the 'extraordinary bravery and selfless service of Ruskan and his fellow first responders.' But he said the other counselors who helped rescue efforts and the tough kids were also heroes. Seeing how bravely they acted, he said, 'it made me a better rescuer.' CNN's Boris Sanchez, Betsy Klein, Alex Stambaugh, Lauren Mascarenhas, Isaac Yee, and Josh Campbell contributed to this report.
The Star
28-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Thai-Cambodian troops clash in early morning gunfire at Chong Bok border
BANGKOK: A source from the Thai border security agency at Chong Bok, in Ubon Ratchathani province reported that a clash occurred between Thai and Cambodian soldiers at 5.45am on Wednesday (May 28). The area remains an undemarcated border zone with overlapping territorial claims by both countries. Both Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to maintain the "status quo" in this area to avoid destabilising the border, prohibiting any actions that alter facts on the ground, such as construction, troop movements, or digging, without prior notification. At 5.45am, Thai forces detected Cambodian troop movements and preparations to establish a position in an area claimed by Thailand, potentially violating the agreement. Thai troops, from Task Force 1 of the Suranaree Command, responded by deploying forces to investigate, which led to a brief clash. The Thai personnel were conducting routine patrol and coordination duties with no intent to assert sovereignty or provoke the neighbouring country. The incident was caused by a misjudgment on the ground and was quickly resolved without any injuries reported. Following the incident, Maj Gen Thol Sovann, Deputy Commander of Cambodia's 3rd Support Brigade, contacted the Deputy Commander of Thailand's Suranaree Task Force by phone. They successfully agreed to end the confrontation by 5.55am. 'A joint bilateral mechanism is currently engaged in discussions to peacefully resolve the overlapping territorial claims and establish a shared framework for future conduct,' a source said. All Thai personnel are safe, and the situation remains under close control. The Royal Thai Army is committed to peaceful solutions and values the strong relationship with Cambodia, coordinating cooperation at all levels to maintain border stability and peace for the people of both countries. 'The army urges the media and public to rely on official information sources and refrain from sharing unverified images or details, which could cause misunderstandings or harm bilateral relations. 'The Thai border represents sovereignty and peace — principles we must uphold through mutual understanding and cooperation,' the source added. - The Nation/ANN
