We’ve covered all of the horrific details of all the death brought on by the torrential Texas flooding, but now today I’m bringing you as many good stories about heroes as I can find.
And they are absolutely incredible!
Earlier I had this report of a truly heroic father saving his entire family:
And now I have another.
Meet Scott Ruskan, a "rescue swimmer" who was on the ground at Camp Mystic and just jumped in and started rescuing people.
Listen to his incredible story right here:
NEW: Rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan, who saved 165 people during the Texas floods, says he recently became a rescue swimmer and this was his first rescue mission.
“I got on scene, boots on the ground at Camp Mystic and discovered I was the only first responder there.”
“I had about… pic.twitter.com/Y6eoNHkz7G
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 7, 2025
EW: Rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan, who saved 165 people during the Texas floods, says he recently became a rescue swimmer and this was his first rescue mission.
“I got on scene, boots on the ground at Camp Mystic and discovered I was the only first responder there.”
“I had about 200 kids, mostly all scared, terrified cold, having probably the worst day of their life.”
“I just kind of need to triage them, get them to a higher level care and get them off the flood zone with a lot of the Army helicopters.”
Hero.
God bless you sir!
Yes indeed, give this man a Medal of Freedom and invite him to the next State of the Union address Mr. President!
🚨 Give this American Hero and patriot a MEDAL OF FREEDOM!
Scott Ruskan, rescuer of 165 Texas flood victims: "I got on scene, boots on the ground at Camp Mystic, kind of discovered I was the only person there as far as first responders go."
"I had about 200 kids mostly, all… pic.twitter.com/I4CqUVGUVS
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 7, 2025
CNN had more truly stunning details on the rescues:
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.
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.
ADVERTISEMENTCounselors 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 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 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.
More here:
“I had about 200 kids — scared, cold, and terrified. Probably the worst day of their lives.”
Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskin shares how he helped save 165 people during the devastating Texas floods at Camp Mystic. pic.twitter.com/1jUWQGDqKa
— Good Morning America (@GMA) July 7, 2025
Please share!
What do you think?
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!