Latest news with #AmericanHero
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Hero Coast Guard saves 165 from Texas floods on his first callout
A US coast guard is being praised as an 'American hero' after he helped save 165 people from the Texas flood in his first-ever rescue mission. Petty Officer Scott Ruskan, 26, was called out to Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp that was housing 750 girls when the catastrophic flooding hit Central Texas on July 4. Upon arrival, Ruskan (pictured) became the sole coordinator on site, directing the entire rescue operation and coordinating triage under extreme conditions. The rescue swimmer told The New York Times that his team took off on a helicopter from Corpus Christi early on Friday to reach the camp in the San Antonio area. What should have taken an hour turned into six as the teams navigated their way through the torrential rain and low visibility. Once on the ground, Ruskan and his team were in a race against time to get as many people out before nightfall, working with 12 rescue helicopters to evacuate about 200 people. Ruskan decided to stay on the ground to make more room in the helicopters, direct survivors to safety and provide emotional support. 'I had a job to do,' Ruskan said. 'All these people are looking at you terrified with a 1,000-yard stare. They want some sort of comfort, someone to save them.' Ruskan ultimately helped lead 165 people to safety in what was his first-ever mission. Ruska, a New Jersey native, had enlisted in the Coast Guard in 2021 and moved to Corpus Christi after working as a KPMG accountant in the east coast, as reported by The New York Post. Many have shared messages praising Ruskan as a hero, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. 'As catastrophic floods swept through Central Texas, Rescue Swimmer Scott Ruskan and his Coast Guard aircrew answered the call of duty without hesitation—saving 165 lives during his first rescue mission,' the official Homeland Security account said in an X post. 'The extraordinary bravery and selfless service of Ruskan and his fellow first responders embody the very spirit of the United States Coast Guard and the best of what it means to be an American.' More than 1,700 emergency responders, volunteers and others have traveled to the area to help in the search and rescue efforts. At least 90 people are confirmed to have been killed in the central Texas flooding as of Monday afternoon. The devastation along the Guadalupe River, outside of San Antonio, has drawn a massive search effort as officials face questions over their preparedness and the speed of their initial actions. In Kerr County, home to youth camps in the Texas Hill Country, searchers have found the bodies of 75 people, including 27 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said Monday morning. Ten girls and a counselor were still unaccounted for at Camp Mystic. Beyond the Camp Mystic campers unaccounted for, the number of missing from other nearby campgrounds and across the region had not been released.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Who is Scott Ruskan? Coast Guard hero who saved scores from floods on his first callout
A US coast guard is being praised as an 'American hero' after he helped save 165 people from the Texas flood in his first-ever rescue mission. Petty Officer Scott Ruskan, 26, was called out to Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp that was housing 750 girls when the catastrophic flooding hit Central Texas on July 4. Upon arrival, Ruskan became the sole coordinator on site, directing the entire rescue operation and coordinating triage under extreme conditions. The rescue swimmer told The New York Times that his team took off on a helicopter from Corpus Christi early on Friday to reach the camp in the San Antonio area. What should have taken an hour turned into six as the teams navigated their way through the torrential rain and low visibility. Once on the ground, Ruskan and his team were in a race against time to get as many people out before nightfall, working with 12 rescue helicopters to evacuate about 200 people. Ruskan decided to stay on the ground to make more room in the helicopters, direct survivors to safety and provide emotional support. 'I had a job to do,' Ruskan said. 'All these people are looking at you terrified with a 1,000-yard stare. They want some sort of comfort, someone to save them,' as reported by The New York Post. Ruskan ultimately helped lead 165 people to safety in what was his first-ever mission. Ruska, a New Jersey native, had enlisted in the Coast Guard in 2021 and moved to Corpus Christi after working as a KPMG accountant in the east coast. Many have shared messages praising Ruskan as a hero, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. 'As catastrophic floods swept through Central Texas, Rescue Swimmer Scott Ruskan and his Coast Guard aircrew answered the call of duty without hesitation—saving 165 lives during his first rescue mission,' the official Homeland Security account said in an X post. 'The extraordinary bravery and selfless service of Ruskan and his fellow first responders embody the very spirit of the United States Coast Guard and the best of what it means to be an American.' More than 1,700 emergency responders, volunteers and others have traveled to the area to help in the search and rescue efforts. At least 90 people are confirmed to have been killed in the central Texas flooding as of Monday afternoon. The devastation along the Guadalupe River, outside of San Antonio, has drawn a massive search effort as officials face questions over their preparedness and the speed of their initial actions. In Kerr County, home to youth camps in the Texas Hill Country, searchers have found the bodies of 75 people, including 27 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said Monday morning. Ten girls and a counselor were still unaccounted for at Camp Mystic. Beyond the Camp Mystic campers unaccounted for, the number of missing from other nearby campgrounds and across the region had not been released. Governor Greg Abbott on Sunday had said that there were 41 people confirmed to be unaccounted for across the state and more could be missing. Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said during a Monday news conference he couldn't give an estimate of the number of people still missing, only saying 'it is a lot.'
The Independent
07-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
‘Hero' Coast Guard swimmer credited with saving 165 people from Camp Mystic floods
A U.S. Coast Guard rescuer has been hailed as an 'American hero' by the Trump administration after he saved 165 people from extreme floods in Texas. Scott Ruskan, 26, a helicopter rescue swimmer from New Jersey, was praised for his life-saving efforts after he was deployed on his first mission to evacuate children from Camp Mystic in Texas. At least 82 people died after thunderstorms caused the Guadalupe River to surge Friday. Ruskan, who was given the role of triage at the scene, leapt into action and was seen on video being airlifted from the roof of a building submerged in deep flood water, reports the New York Post. He told the Post: 'This is what it's all about, right? Like, this is why we do the job. 'This is why we take those risks all time. This is why like Coast Guard men and women are risking their lives every day.' On Monday, Camp Mystic confirmed that 27 campers and counselors had died in the floods. "Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy," the camp said in a statement . Close to 200 people, including campers and staff members, needed to be evacuated from the site Friday, said officials. Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem, who visited Texas Saturday, identified the rescuer by name in a social media post Saturday. In a post on X, she wrote: 'United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Petty Officer Scott Ruskan, directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central Texas. 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." The Guardsman has been serving in the USCG for over three years, after working as an audit intern for KPMG, according to the Post. Since November, he had been working on call after completing his training as a helicopter swimmer, where he familiarized himself with the Coast Guard's MH-65 helicopter and took up additional rescue swimming classes ahead of being called into action. His moment finally came Friday morning, when he and other rescuers scrambled into Blackhawk 60 and Coast Guard MH-65 choppers near Hunt, Texas, to save the camp. National Weather Service officials say more storms are expected to strike Texas Monday, possibly bringing even further devastation. President Trump declared the floods a major disaster for Kerr County Sunday – 100 miles north of San Antonio – calling the scenes 'absolutely horrible.' His administration has come under intense scrutiny for the tragedy following a wave of cuts to the National Weather Service and Trump's anti-climate-change stance.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Coast Guard rescue swimmer hailed as hero for saving 165 in Texas flooding
The Brief Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan saved 165 people during his first rescue operation in the Texas flooding. Ruskan was the primary person triaging flood victims among 12 rescue helicopters. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem praised Ruskan on X, calling him an "American Hero." In the chaotic aftermath of the devastating floods at Camp Mystic on the Guadalupe River, Scott Ruskan, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, is credited with saving 165 people in what was marked as his very first rescue operation. A Coast Guard spokesperson highlighted his pivotal role among the 12 rescue helicopters, including those from the National Guard and the Army, that converged on the site. Dig deeper United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, posted about Ruskan's recovery efforts on X, calling him an "American Hero". The Source Information in this article was provided by the social media page of Kristi Noem.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Okla. Historical Society hosts ‘Juneteenth' celebration June 18
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is preparing to celebrate Juneteenth with a program free to the public on Tuesday, June 18. Juneteenth is the celebration of emancipation following the U.S. Civil War. OHS says the event, titled '2024 Juneteenth: Honor, Reflect, and Celebrate!,' is set to educate the public about the history of Juneteenth with attendees enjoying a book signing, live performances and discussions featuring the following: Author Archietta Burch James will sign copies of her book Francis Clinton: A Buffalo Soldier American Hero Francis Clinton is James' great-grandfather, one of the original Buffalo Soldiers Dr. Raushan Ashanti-Alexander, assistant principal at Douglass High School in Oklahoma City Shirley Nero, a member of the OHS Board of Directors and current president of the Friends of the OHS Multicultural Office Board of Directors Stitt signs bill limiting Oklahomans' access to support ballot initiative petitions DETAILS: Location: Oklahoma History Center Date: June 18 Time: 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. No registration is required. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
