A 26-year-old Coast Guard rescue swimmer from New Jersey is being praised for extraordinary bravery after leading a rescue effort that saved 165 people during deadly flash floods in Central Texas.

Scott and his sister Julie | @julie_ruskan on Instagram

Petty Officer 3rd Class Scott Ruskan had only recently completed his training, but when the call came in, he was ready. The Coast Guard deployed multiple helicopters to the crisis zone, but Ruskan was the only triage coordinator on site—a role he handled while simultaneously participating in active rescue efforts.

The flooding, which struck a popular area along the Guadalupe River, hit Camp Mystic especially hard—a Christian girls’ summer camp that became the focus of the operation. Ruskan and his team spotted nearly 200 people stranded at the campsite from the air and immediately shifted all efforts to get them to safety.

Once on the ground, Ruskan tended to frightened and exhausted campers, many of whom had fled their bunks in the middle of the night with little more than the clothes on their backs. While comforting survivors, he coordinated rescue helicopters, including Coast Guard MH-65s and Army Blackhawks, directing them to groups in need of evacuation.

@julie_ruskan on Instagram

“This is what it’s all about,” Ruskan said. “This is why we take those risks all the time.”

Raised in Oxford, New Jersey, Ruskan left a career in accounting to join the Coast Guard in 2021. After completing basic and advanced training in aviation survival and rescue swimming, he was stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas. This recent disaster marked his very first mission—one that would define his service and save dozens of lives.

Kristi Noem, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, called Ruskan an “American hero,” adding, “His selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the U.S. Coast Guard.”

As the rescues unfolded, Ruskan found himself not only coordinating logistics but also providing emotional support to those in shock. “They were cold, wet, and miserable,” he said of the survivors. “This is probably the worst day of their lives. They’re looking to us for comfort.”

Although the mission brought hundreds to safety, Ruskan remains focused on those still unaccounted for.