Coast Guard Rookie Scott Ruskan Rescues 165 in Texas Floods

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Updated Jul 7, 2025, 01:38 AM

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Ruskan personally guided 165 people to safety during the Fourth-of-July-weekend floods that inundated communities along the Guadalupe River in central Texas, according to the Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard statements. Ruskan was lowered into Camp Mystic, a girls’ summer camp near Kerrville, where rising water had cut off ground access and left nearly 200 people stranded.

On what was his first operational deployment, the 26-year-old rescue swimmer served as the sole triage coordinator on site, tending to injured campers and directing 12 helicopters from the Coast Guard, Army and National Guard to pockets of survivors. Authorities say the broader flooding has killed at least 80 people and left others missing, underscoring the scale of the disaster even as aircrews continue search-and-rescue flights.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem praised Ruskan’s “selfless courage,” calling his actions emblematic of the Coast Guard’s mission. Speaking to reporters, the New Jersey native and former KPMG accountant downplayed the accolades, saying he “was just doing the job” any rescue swimmer would undertake.

Ruskan’s performance has drawn attention to the Coast Guard’s Aviation Survival Technician program, known for its grueling year-long training and high attrition rate. While official reviews of the Texas response are ongoing, federal and state agencies credit the coordinated airlift—anchored by Ruskan’s ground leadership—with preventing a higher death toll.

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#Scott Ruskan #Guadalupe River #Texas #Department of Homeland Security #Coast Guard #Ruskan #Camp Mystic #Kerrville #Army #National Guard #Homeland Security #Kristi Noem #New Jersey #KPMG #Aviation Survival Technician

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John Cardillo

@johncardillo

Rescue swimmers are no joke. This guy trained impossibly hard, worked harder, and saved 165 families from the worst phone call or visit they could ever imagine. All in his first mission. We’re lucky to have him. You’re looking at a true American hero.

Collin Rugg

@CollinRugg

Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan saved 165 lives in the Texas flash floods. The 26-year-old, a former KPMG accountant, directed Army Blackhawk 60s and MH-65s to survivors and helped get them to safety, according to the New York Post. “Ruskan spearheaded a high-risk

RedWave Press

@RedWave_Press

AMERICAN HERO: The New Jersey native who saved 165 victims of the catastrophic flooding in Central Texas has been identified as Coast Guard rescue swimmer 26-year-old Scott Ruskan. Ruskan told The New York Post: “Honestly, I’m mostly just a dude. I’m just doing a job. This is