A U.S. Coast Guard swimmer from New Jersey, who finished basic training last year, saved 165 lives on his first mission during the Independence Day flood in Kerr County.
U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer Petty Officer Scott Ruskan “directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central Texas,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. “This was the first rescue mission of his career and he was the only triage coordinator at the scene. Scott Ruskan is an American hero. His selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the USCG.”
Ruskan, 26, from Oxford Township, in Warren County, New Jersey, was part of an initial rescue effort carried out by the Coast Guard, America’s maritime first responders, as well as Texas National Guard soldiers and airmen.
“As America’s maritime first responder, the Coast Guard is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our interagency partners. Our service members remain always ready, vigilant, and steadfast in our commitment to the people of Central Texas,” the Coast Guard said.
It posted a picture of Ruskan on social media stating the Coast Guard “remains focused on the people of Central Texas. Alongside federal, state, and local partners, our air crews and assets are on-scene and postured to respond. On the strength of our servicemembers – lifesavers like Aviation Survival Technician Scott Ruskan – we are Always Ready to respond where the need is greatest.”
This was his first rescue mission after six months of training. “I really relied on the training we got. Coast Guard swimmers get some of the highest rescue training in the world,” he told ABC News. “Any of the rescue swimmers in the Coast Guard would have done the same thing.”
“The kids on the ground were the real heroes,” he said. “They were going through some of the worst times of their lives, and they were staying strong. That helped inspire me to kind of get in there and help them me out.”
Ruskan and his crew were dispatched from the Coast Guard’s air station in Corpus Christi. Aircraft commander Lt. Ian Hopper, co-pilot Lt. Blair Ogujiofor and flight mechanic Seth Reeves were also instrumental in the rescue effort. Videos on social media depict their orange and white MH-65 Dolphin helicopter hovering over the river pulling people up to safety. A video posted on social media shows them rescuing a man from his camper van in Kerr County.
Sector Corpus Christi is a multi-mission unit whose tasks include search and rescue, law enforcement, security of ports and waterways, marine safety, drug and illegal border crosser interdiction, and marine and environmental protection. In an average year, crew from Corpus “save 101 lives, assist 554 people, save $11 million in property, interdict 34 lanchas, prevent 5,500 pounds of drugs from reaching the streets, and interdict 130 illegal migrants,” it says.
Their rescue mission in Kerr County saved more people than the average number the Coast Guard saves in a year in its coverage area spanning thousands of miles in two states.
The sector’s area of responsibility spans a 11,250 square mile captain of the port zone, running northeast to the Colorado River, south to the US-Mexico border and extends 200 nautical miles offshore. It also covers the entire inland portion of south Texas and the entire state of New Mexico.
Its base, the Port of Corpus Christi, is the largest U.S. port in revenue tonnage and largest energy export port, including of liquified natural gas, in the country. The U.S. leads the world in LNG exports, led by the Port of Corpus Christi, The Center Square reported.
The majority of rescues were conducted by the Texas National Guard. Black Hawk pilots rescued 366 people by air, Texas Military Department Adjutant General Major General Thomas Suelzer said. In the initial rescue hours, Texas National Guard soldiers and airmen rescued 525 people, 366 by air and 159 by ground; 20 were in San Sabo County and five in Burnet County, he said at a press conference Sunday night.
Gov. Greg Abbott deployed more than 1,500 personnel and more than 925 vehicles and equipment assets across 20 state agencies in response to the flash flood event. In the early hours of July 4, the Guadeloupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes, creating a path of destruction throughout Kerr County and surrounding counties.
Authorities don’t know how many people are missing because the area was a popular vacation destination for the holiday. Many people were camping in tents, in RVs, camper vans, motorhomes, cabins and rentals along the river and along other rivers and lakes in neighboring counties.
As of Monday afternoon, the death count reached 106 in Kerr County alone. More than 50 people are confirmed missing statewide, with both the death and missing totals expected to increase as more bodies are found and more people call authorities about missing loved ones who are unaccounted for.
