Photo of Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan (Perry Shirzad)
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 Ruskan's pivotal role among the 12 rescue helicopters, including those from the National Guard and the Army, that converged on the site.
United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, posted about Ruskan's recovery efforts on X, calling him an "American hero".
Texas House Representative Rafael Anchia also highlighted the Coast Guard rescue swimmer on his social media account Monday.
Scott Ruskan, Coast Guard member, saves flood victims
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Texas flooding hero: In his own words
Petty Officer 3rd Class Scott Ruskan of the U.S. Coast Guard joined FOX & Friends on Monday morning to talk about his role in the flood rescue efforts. Ruskan is credited with saving almost 200 people. (Video via FOX News Channel)
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In an appearance on "Fox & Friends" Monday morning, the 26-year-old Ruskan said he and his helicopter crew were "battling some pretty bad weather" for around five or six hours before he was able to get on scene in the Hunt area.
"Once we got on scene, we were boots on the ground," he said. "We made the decision to leave me there, we figured we would be able to hoist more people out on our helicopter with me not on it and then I would be able to help out the scene at Camp Mystic a little bit better."
Ruskan added, "A lot of people looking very scared, very tired, cold. Missing loved ones. Probably terrified, honestly. And I was just trying to be a voice of calm and triage these people and get them to safety as soon as we could."
Ruskan mentioned that other crews were getting into the water on Friday, "risking way more" than he was.
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"I was just doing my job," he added.
Coast Guard member who saved 165 flood victims: 'I was just doing my job'
Petty Officer Scott Ruskan saved 165 people during his first rescue mission of his career.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the FOX News social media page of Kristi Noem.