Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Saves 165 People From Camp Mystic, 'I Was Just Doing My Job'

Petty Officer Scott Ruskan, 26, a young Coast Guard rescue swimmer, is a hero after saving 165 people at Camp Mystic during the devastating floods in early July 2025. It was his first official mission. He had enlisted in the Coast Guard in 2021 and before he was stationed in Corps Christi, he went to Aviation Survival Technician school in California.

At 7 am on the 4th of July, he was at the US Coast Guard’s Air Station Corpus Christi when a call came in for his team to respond to the flooding in Central Texas. “I just happened to be on the duty crew,” he shared on Good Morning America. A flight that usually takes an hour took between seven and eight hours due to the bad weather.

They Landed at Camp Mystic

RELATED: Two Texas Sisters Share About Surviving the Flood at Camp Mystic

They landed at Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas. The camp is a Christian summer camp for girls ages 7-17. Established in 1926, the camp is in the hill country of west-central Texas on the banks of the Guadalupe River. The camp has three terms each summer, and was just about a week into its second term when the horrendous flooding occurred.

They decided to leave Scott at Camp Mystic. It would be their main triage site for the campers. "I kind of discovered I was the only person there as far as first responders go. So I had about 200, kids mostly. All scared, terrified, cold, having probably the worst day of their life. And I just kind of needed to triage them, get them to a higher level of care and get 'em off the flood zone." Scott shared.

He Worked Alongside Members of the National Guard

Scott worked alongside members of the National Guard to get people loaded and on to safety. They set up two loading zones and were able to land the rescue helicopters there.  “I was kind of the main guy as far as grabbing people," he said.

The coast guardsmen had just completed his rescue swimming training just six months before. "I really just kind of relied on the training we get. Coast Guard rescue swimmers get some of the highest level training in the world. So really just kind of relied on that, just knowing that any of the rescue swimmers in the Coast Guard would have done the exact same if not better than me," Scott shared.

27 Campers and Counselors Did Loose Their Lives

Although they did get the majority of people out of Camp Mystic, 27 campers and counselors lost their lives because of the flood, according to Camp Mystic’s official statement. “There’s still a lot of people missing and unaccounted for, so the mission’s not over yet. It’s not over for us,” Scott told the New York Post.

Although Scott doesn’t look at what he did as anything more than his job, we are thankful for him and people like him that work tirelessly to make sure that people can get to safety. We will pray for the whole Camp Mystic community and those affected by these floods. May God be with all of them.

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“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” - Philippians 4:13

WATCH: Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Saves 165 People From Camp Mystic

LISTEN: Their Pup Had Been Hit By a Car, 4 Years Later They Found Her Alive | She Earned Degree, Then Gave Dad a Second Chance at Life

h/t: PEOPLE

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Good Morning America

Julie Provost is a GodUpdates staff writer and editor. She lives in Tennessee with her husband, three boys, and little dog Max. She loves to read, go to the movies, and enjoy time with family and friends.