Petty Officer Scott Ruskan, a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas, completed his first operational deployment amid catastrophic flash floods that struck Central Texas.
Ruskan is credited with saving 165 individuals during large-scale rescue operations near Camp Mystic in Kerr County, one of the areas hardest hit by the flooding.
Triggered by intense and sustained rainfall, the floods caused the Guadalupe River to rise more than 25 feet in less than an hour, overwhelming riverbanks and infrastructure.
The Coast Guard deployed both air and surface assets to support evacuation and search-and-rescue operations. Among those mobilized was Petty Officer Ruskan, who executed multiple hoist operations and extractions under hazardous conditions.
Working alongside fellow Coast Guard personnel, Ruskan used helicopters and specialized equipment to reach individuals stranded by rising waters in areas inaccessible by ground.
His actions were instrumental in safely rescuing 165 people over the course of several hours.
The flooding near Camp Mystic, a well-known summer camp along the Guadalupe River, was part of a broader weather system that affected multiple counties across Central Texas.