Coast Guard Officer Rescues 165 People First Day on the Job.

Early on Friday morning of the July 4th holiday weekend, his team received an urgent call for assistance from Task Force 1, a local search-and-rescue team. Scott and his team were to travel 200 miles to Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas, where floodwaters swept through camps on the riverbanks. The impacted area sat dangerously close to a girls' summer camp, Camp Mystic.

Scott had completed his rescue swimmer training six months prior to that fateful day and would use many of his newly acquired skills during this massive rescue effort.

“The goal was to get as many people as possible,” said Scott. “There was no other way to get them out. Bridges were gone, roadways were gone, and the water was coming up too high for boat rescue.”

Treacherous weather conditions slowed the team's approach. It took the pilot four attempts before they could successfully land the plane in the camp area. Scott recalled feeling shock as he flew over the camp and first saw the massive crowd of young campers stranded below, awaiting help. In spite of his trepidation, Scott felt determined to help these young people.

“They don't really know what my experience is or my rank or my age,” Scott explained. “They just know, ‘Hey this guy is a professional, and he's here to help us.’ And I kind of had to live up to that standard.”

Once he landed, Scott focused first on getting the youngest of the cold and terrified campers to safety. As the only coordinator at the main triage site, he tirelessly worked alone for hours. He had limited communication with the outside world because cell and radio towers had lost signal. Coast Guard rescue training, regarded as some of the highest level training in the world, carried Scott through the danger and fear. He courageously led 165 campers – in groups of 10 to 15 – to 15 army helicopters that would airlift them to higher ground.

When he heard that some had hailed him as a hero for his courage, he humbly replied that he had simply done his job. Scott credited camp counselors and the children themselves for remaining so strong in a tough and terrifying situation, and he said their bravery made him a better rescuer.

The Foundation for a Better Life and PassItOn consider Scott Ruskan a hero, along with the hundreds of members of the National Guard and first responders who all arrived on scene that day. The courageous actions of these humble heroes are a great example of the value of preparedness. They dedicate their lives to training hard so one day they might be in a position to rescue others. Please help us celebrate them by sharing their story.

watch video here: https://youtu.be/P0AWwouOrno?si=j2IktwLkHopAnrGb