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Life Saving Rescue from a Surging Wall of Water.
Over the July 4th weekend in Kerr County, Texas, disaster struck. Torrential rains caused the Guadalupe River to surge from a peaceful 3 feet to nearly 30 feet in just a few hours. The violent flooding destroyed everything in its path-roads, bridges, boats, homes-and tragically claimed the lives of both people and pets. In the chaos, air rescue became the only hope for survival.
One of the hardest-hit places was Camp Mystic, a summer camp for girls, nestled along the riverbank. As the waters rose, staff scrambled to save the children. Counselors pulled girls through cabin windows while others laid mattresses on the floor, hoping they could float if the camp was washed away.
It was a scene as desperate and haunting as a modern-day Titanic.
Into this storm flew 26-year-old Petty Officer Scott Ruskan of the U.S. Coast Guard. It was his very first rescue mission. Just a short time before, Scott had been an accountant at the financial firm KPMG. Now, he was the lone first responder on the scene, faced with nearly 200 terrified children.
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"They were scared, cold, and having probably the worst day of their life," he later told CNN.
With assistance from the Texas Air National Guard, helicopters began landing on the camp's archery and soccer fields. Scott helped organize the airlift, prioritizing the youngest children first-loading 10 to 15 into each aircraft, trip after trip. In total,165 girls were rescued that day.
But the flood took its toll. 27 children and counselors, including Camp Mystic's longtime director, Dick Eastman, tragically lost their lives while trying to save others.
The Department of Homeland Security hailed Scott as an "American hero" and praised the "extraordinary bravery and selfless service" of him and his fellow responders.
But Scott does not see himself that way. "To me, the real heroes were the counselors and those brave kids," he said. "Seeing their courage-it made me a better rescuer."
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