Texas – July 8, 2025
Petty Officer Scott Ruskan, a 26-year-old rookie US Coast Guard rescue swimmer, is being hailed as a national hero after rescuing 165 children trapped by devastating flash floods in central Texas over the July 4th weekend.
Ruskan, who left a career in accounting to join the Coast Guard, had only graduated from rescue swimmer school six months prior when his first mission came — and it was one of historic proportions.
Torrential rains caused the Guadalupe River in Kerr County to rise from 3 feet to nearly 30, sweeping through several summer camps, including Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian retreat. Ruskan’s team was deployed from Corpus Christi early Friday morning after a call from Task Force 1, a local search-and-rescue team.
Roads and bridges were washed out, leaving airlift as the only rescue option. Ruskan’s crew battled fierce weather, making four attempts to reach the camp. Once there, he found nearly 200 children, cold, barefoot, and terrified.
Alone But Unshaken
Due to capacity constraints, Ruskan was left behind at the camp to coordinate triage while the aircraft flew to a more critical site. He spent three hours on his own, without radio or cell contact, providing emotional support and organizing evacuees.
“I’ve never seen anything this tragic in my life,” Ruskan said. “Some of these kids were having the worst day of their lives. They were scared, missing friends and counselors. I had to be there for them.”
Camp staff had already taken heroic steps — pushing children through windows and placing them on floating mattresses to keep them safe. Ruskan focused on comforting the kids, escorting small groups to helicopters that landed on the camp’s soccer and archery fields.
The Human Toll
Despite the massive rescue effort, 27 people — including 9 children, 18 adults, and longtime camp director Dick Eastman — lost their lives. Ten campers and one counselor remain missing.
In total, over 850 people have been evacuated across the region, and more than 100 lives have been lost statewide due to the floods.
The Department of Homeland Security praised Ruskan’s “extraordinary bravery and selfless service,” calling him an “American hero.” Ruskan, however, credits the camp counselors and the children’s resilience: “They were brave, they were strong. They made me a better rescuer.”
