One Man Helped to Save Over 160 Lives in Texas, According to the U.S. Coast Guard

In every tragedy, there are heroes to look to. In the words of Mr. Rogers, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." As more and more stories come out about the tragic flooding in Texas, this quote rings true. There are always people helping.

On the morning of July 4th, tragedy struck Central Texas as dangerous flash flooding swept through the region near Kerrville. Within 90 minutes, the Guadalupe River rose over 20 feet, and there was no time to lose. Shortly after the flooding began, the team at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Corpus Christi, TX, was called to respond.

26-year-old Scott Ruskan was one of the rescue swimmers on duty, and he is now being hailed as a hero due to his incredible efforts during the disaster. A Facebook post from the U.S. Coast Guard Heartland page celebrated his efforts, stating that he assisted in the evacuation of 169 people during the floods.

Ruskan is one of many heroes who did everything possible to save lives during this tragedy. Here's the story of one of the many heroes in this disaster, so even amid a great tragedy, you can find a glimpse of hope.

Flash flooding is the type of disaster that can happen without warning. By definition, flash flooding is a type of flooding that starts within 6 hours or less of heavy rainfall. Many factors can lead to this type of severe flooding, and it often catches people off guard.

This type of flooding is what occurred in Central Texas, near the Guadalupe River. Although flash flooding is possible anywhere, it's most likely to happen near mountainous streams and rivers, urban areas, low-lying areas, storm drains, and culverts, according to the National Weather Service.

The area in Central Texas is at high risk for dangerous flash flooding, including an area known as "Flash Flood Alley." According to a press release from the United States Coast Guard News, they received a report on July 4th at about 5:57 a.m. requesting assistance in response to the flooding near Kerrville.

Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls, was severely affected by the flash flooding. This camp was one of the places the United States Coast Guard team was sent, and the place where Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Ruskan was hailed a hero.

Camp Mystic is a private camp located in Hunt, Texas. This camp is located on the banks of the Guadalupe River, which rose over 20 feet in about 90 minutes during the flooding.

When the U.S. Coast Guard was called, Scott Ruskan was on duty and sent to Camp Mystic. After a challenging flight and rescue operation, Ruskan was left at the camp, which was set up as the main triage site.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Ruskan, 26 years old, had only completed his rescue swimmer training six months before the flooding in Texas. He is a native of New Jersey and joined the Coast Guard in 2021.

The flooding in Texas was Ruskan's first rescue mission in his role as a rescue swimmer. He had been on call since November, but this was his first experience using the training he learned. Reports say that Ruskan assisted in the rescue efforts that helped evacuate over 160 people from Camp Mystic during the flooding.

Even though many are calling Ruskan a hero, he has pointed out in several interviews that he believes the real heroes are the kids who were at Camp Mystic, especially the young counselors who were trying to help others. Ruskan told The Guardian, “It was some really heroic stuff by those camp counselors. I really hope they get the recognition they deserve.”

While Scott is certainly one of the heroes in this tragedy, he's not the only hero. The director of co-owner of Camp Mystic, Richard Eastland, gave his life trying to rescue some of the campers. Rep. August Pfluger wrote of him on X, "Camp Mystic’s Dick Eastland no doubt gave his life attempting to save his campers. For decades he and his wife Tweety poured his life into loving and developing girls and women of character. Thank you Mr. Eastland. We love you and miss you."

The stories of Scott Ruskan and Richard Eastland are just a couple of many heroic stories that have surfaced during the tragedies in Texas. Even though these stories don't erase the grief that comes from the lives lost, they are a good reminder that even in the middle of tragedy, we can find hope in the help of others.