Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan (pictured at the left in the photo) is being hailed as a hero for coordinating the rescue of 165 children from the Mystic Camp during the flash floods on the Guadeloupe Rive in Texas.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem singled out Raskin,26, for his efforts as the only triage coordinator in the area.
“United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Petty Officer Scott Ruskin (Ruskan), directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central Texas. This was the first rescue mission of his career and he was the only triage coordinator at the scene. Scott Ruskin is an American hero. His selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the @USCG,” Noem’s posted to her social media account on X.
Ruskan and the CG helicopter crew were in the air when they saw a crowd of up to 200 children on high ground at the camp. Speaking during an interview with Fox news, Ruskan, a New Jersey native, said, “”Yeah, as far as right now, we’ve been getting our tasks from higher above mostly from the Army as of right now. But a lot of it has just been large state triages, so we were at Mystic yesterday for a long period of time. We probably got about 200 people out of there alone, and it was just, yeah, we just saw a huge crowd, about 200 kids at a campsite. So, we’re like, cool that’s where we’re gonna go, and we’re just gonna get as many people out as we can until they’re all gone.
As of noon on Thursday, July 10, more than 120 people have been confirmed dead in the flash floods and 160 are still missing. The search for victims continues.
