When 26-year-old Scott Ruskan joined the U.S. Coast Guard as a rescue swimmer, he expected to save lives. But he never imagined that his very first mission would involve airlifting 165 children trapped in one of the deadliest floods to hit Texas in years.
During the July 4 holiday weekend, deluging rains precipitated sudden, extreme flooding throughout central Texas. One of the hardest-hit spots was Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County. Swelling waters blocked access and stranded almost 200 individuals—chiefly children and camp staff.
Scott Ruskan , a retired accountant from New Jersey, was among the harrowing rescue effort and became a highlight when he was pulled from the roof of an underwater building in video footage. He was tasked as the coordinator of triage on the ground, working without radio or cell phone access for hours to coordinate rescues and soothe frightened children.
This is what it’s all about, right? Like, this is why we do the job,” Ruskan explained to the New York Post. “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
As Fox News reports, the Guadalupe River surged 26 feet within 45 minutes, inundating the holiday-filled campgrounds. Emergency responders had a small window of time to work. The Texas National Guard and Air National Guard mobilized Black Hawk helicopters as part of the rescue effort.
The one-hour flight took six or seven hours. Ruskan explained what the situation was like, “I looked over and I saw a massive group of approximately 200 children at a campsite. We were like, ‘Nice, that’s where we’re going to go and take as many people out as we can.'”
Scott Ruskan: Lone Rescuer on the Ground
The Coast Guard crew figured they could lift more individuals if Ruskan remained at the bottom. For three anxious hours, he was the sole trained rescuer on the ground.
He coordinated the landings on the camp’s archery field and soccer field, leading groups of 10–15 kids and at least one adult to waiting helicopters. He even calmed the children and kept them safe, as terror and panic enveloped them.
Though there were huge rescue operations, 27 people, counselors, and campers perished, and at least 10 campers and a counselor are still missing.
“We pretty much got most of the people out of Camp Mystic, which is great. And I think we did a lot of good that day, but clearly it’s still really sad,” Ruskan said. “The mission’s not over yet.”
From Accountant to Hero
Before joining the Coast Guard in 2021, Ruskan had worked as a KPMG accountant. Afterward, he graduated from Aviation Survival Technician (AST) School, which is considered one of the more rigorous military training programs. Subsequently, he was assigned to Corpus Christi, Texas, where he trained on the MH-65 Dolphin helicopter.
This flood rescue mission was his first—and it landed him in the news all across the country.
“United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Petty Officer Scott Ruskan personally saved a whopping 165 victims,” wrote Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “This was his first rescue of his career.”
Nevertheless, Ruskan modestly brushed aside compliments, “The real heroes, I think, were the kids on the ground. They were facing some of the worst moments of their lives, and they were holding up.”
