In a powerful show of courage, a young U.S. Coast Guard swimmer named Scott Ruskan, only 26 years old, helped save more than 165 people during the dangerous floods that recently hit Texas.
Over the July 4 weekend, heavy rains caused the Guadalupe River in central Texas to flood badly. Water levels rose from just 3 feet to nearly 30 feet in a short time. A girls' summer camp near the river—Camp Mystic—was caught in the disaster. Roads and bridges were washed away, and no boats could reach the camp. Nearly 200 young girls and staff were trapped with nowhere to go.
That’s when Ruskan and his team flew in from Corpus Christi through dangerous weather. Once there, he was the only first responder who stayed behind. He kept the kids calm and helped load them into helicopters, 10 to 15 at a time, for rescue. It was his first real mission, and he did it like a pro.
Ruskan said he was “just doing his job,” but the U.S. government called him a true American hero.
Sadly, not everyone made it out alive. Around 27 girls and counselors from the camp died, and dozens of others in the area are still missing. Overall, the floods have taken the lives of around 100 people. Rescue efforts are still ongoing as more rain is expected.
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