Following the devastating floods in the Texas Hill Country, a U.S. Coast Guard member is being called an 'American Hero' for his extraordinary rescue efforts.
Scott Ruskan, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer saved 230 lives during the deadly floods that took place in Kerr County, Texas this July 4th weekend.
On his first ever rescue mission, the 26-year old was deployed to Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp in Hunt, Texas. With bridges and roads washed out and the water too high for boat access, the only option was to have the campers airlifted.
"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," said Ruskan. "I discovered I was the only person as far as first responders go. I had about 200 kids mostly, all scared, terrified, cold, having probably the worst day of their life."
For over three hours, Ruskan stayed with the campers, providing medical assistance, emotional support, and aiding in evacuation efforts.
Many outlets, including the Department of Homeland Security have called Ruskan an 'American Hero.' His response?
"Honestly, I'm mostly just a dude. I'm just doing my job," he told Good Morning America. "The real heroes, I think, were the kids on the ground. They helped inspire me to get in there and help them out."
Please consider donating to flood relief efforts in the Texas Hill Country through the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund.