‘Hero’ Coast Guard swimmer credited with saving 165 people from Camp Mystic floods
Coast Guard member hailed as ‘American hero’ for saving Texas flood victims
- US Coast Guard rescuer Scott Ruskan has been lauded as an “American hero” by the Trump administration for saving 165 people during extreme floods in Texas.
- Ruskan, a 26-year-old helicopter rescue swimmer, undertook his first mission evacuating children from Camp Mystic, where 27 campers and counselors later died.
- The floods, caused by thunderstorms, led to the Guadalupe River surging, resulting in at least 82 fatalities across the region.
- Ruskan acted as the sole triage coordinator at the scene, with video showing him being airlifted from a submerged building.
- President Trump declared the floods a major disaster for Kerr County, while his administration faces scrutiny over cuts to the National Weather Service and his stance on climate change.