Coast Guard Hero Scott Ruskan Shares Chilling Details Of Texas Flood Tragedy – “Probably The Worst Day Of Their Life”

LEFT: The U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Ruskan.(GMA / TikTok) RIGHT: The aftermath of the tragic floods. (Camp Mystic / Facebook)

Scott Ruskan, U.S. Coast Guard Officer, spoke out about the tragic flooding in Texas.

Over the 4th of July weekend, tragic flooding swept through Kerr County and Mason County in central Texas.

The devastating flooding has a death toll currently of over 100 people. According to NBC, the death toll is at 104 and rising as search efforts continue.

Camp Mystic shared on their official website the tragic news that they had lost 27 campers and counselors. Tragically, some of these campers were as young as 8 years old.

“Camp Mystic is grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors following the catastrophic flooding on the Guadalupe river. Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly.”

Some of the campers and counselors are still missing, but many are still searching. “We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls.”

Petty Officer Scott Ruskan of the U.S. Coast Guard spoke about his firsthand experience.

Scott Ruskan sat down with Good Morning America to discuss his firsthand account of the harrowing day.

“The Coast Guard launched us and decided to send a rescue crew from Air Station Corpus Christi at about 6:30/ 7 a.m. on Friday, the 4th of July. I just happened to be on the duty crew.”

According to Ruskan, the weather was so severe that an hour flight took about 7 to 8 hours. Once they were finally able to land, the rescue mission began. “We decided to leave me on scene at Camp Mystic. That was kind of our main triage site we were trying to help out with.”

He quickly realized that he was the only first responder on the scene.

 “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.”

@gma

“I had about 200 kids — scared, cold, and terrified. Probably the worst day of their lives.” Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskin shares how he helped save 165 people during the devastating Texas floods at Camp Mystic. #news

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He slowly began taking groups of 10 to 15 and transporting them to safety.

“We kind of came up with two different landing zones. There was one off an archery field and then one in a soccer field. We were able to kind of land those 60s [rescue helicopters] in there. I was kind of the main guy as far as grabbing people,” he said.

This was Ruskan’s first rescue mission of this size.

“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,” he said.

The 26-year-old realized that regardless of his age or experience the kids on the ground needed him, so he stepped up.

“They don’t really know what my experience is or my rank or my age,” he said. “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.”

His final statement was an act of humility. He took no credit for his bravery but rather honored the kids, sharing that they were the “real heroes.”

“The real heroes, I think, were the kids on the ground,” he told GMA. “Those guys are heroic, and they were dealing with some of the worst times of their lives, and they were staying strong. That helped inspire me to get in there and help them out.”