A 26-year-old Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Scott Ruskan, is being hailed as an “American hero” after he saved 165 people during his very first rescue mission amid severe flooding in Central Texas.
Petty Officer Ruskan, originally from New Jersey, was part of an emergency team deployed to Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls that was one of the hardest-hit areas along the Guadalupe River.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem praised him on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “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. Scott Ruskan is an American hero.”
United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Petty Officer Scott Ruskin, 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.
Scott Ruskin is…
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) July 6, 2025
Who Is Scott Ruskan?
Scott Ruskan was raised in Oxford, New Jersey, and is a former KPMG accountant. He enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in 2021, completing his basic training before attending Aviation Survival Technician school in Petaluma, California, according to a report by the New York Post.
After his training, he was stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he continued with advanced training and learned to operate the MH-65 Dolphin helicopter. The flooding response marked his first deployment for a rescue mission.
During the operation, Ruskan served as the only triage coordinator on the ground, organizing medical care for the injured while 12 helicopters from the Coast Guard, National Guard, and U.S. Army worked to carry out rescues. His quick thinking and decisive actions helped save many lives during this critical period.
In an interview on ‘Fox and Friends’, Ruskan shared that while in the air, they spotted a large group of approximately 200 kids gathered at a campsite, prompting their focus on Camp Mystic.
Scott told ‘Fox and Friends’, “Yeah, as far as right now, we’ve been getting our tasks from higher above, mostly from the Army as of right now. But a lot of it has just been large state triages, so we were at Mystic yesterday for a long period of time.”
He added, “We probably got about 200 people out of there alone, and it was just, yeah, we just saw a huge crowd, about 200 kids at a campsite. So, we’re like, cool that’s where we’re gonna go, and we’re just gonna get as many people out as we can until they’re all gone.”
Scott Ruskan’s courageous actions during the Texas floods exemplify heroism and dedication, making a significant impact on the lives of those affected by this devastating natural disaster.
