Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Sets New Lifesaving Record in Texas Floods

On his first operational mission after completing training, 26-year-old rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan broke the Coast Guard's record for most lives saved in a single response.

When Texas' Guadelupe River jumped its banks in a flash-flood event on Friday, the river gage near the town of Hunt hit 29 feet - 19 feet above flood stage, and the second-highest level on record. Many people were caught unprepared, including hundreds of campers at Camp Mystic, a girls' summer camp just upriver. About 200 young girls and staffers were stranded by the high waters and had to be rescued by helicopter.

Ruskan and his aircrew are based in Corpus Christi, about 160 miles southeast of the camp. When they got the call, they prepared and got under way - but the weather was not cooperative, Ruskan told media. Low visibility reduced their speed, and it took them six hours to cover the short distance.

When they arrived, they joined a force of about one dozen Coast Guard and National Guard helicopters on scene. The evacuation from Camp Mystic was divided up into two athletic fields, ensuring space for multiple helicopter landings at one time. When Ruskan's MH-65 aircrew arrived at the camp, he volunteered to stay behind so that the small helicopter could carry two more girls per trip.

Image courtesy USCG

The flood hit the camp at night, and many of the kids were still in their pajamas. Some hadn't had time to put their shoes on. Ruskan marshalled the evacuees and led them - or carried them - to waiting helicopters. At final tally, he helped 165 people to safety, a new Coast Guard record.

Ten campers and one camp counselor remain missing, according to Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha, and the current death toll stands at 82. Among the dead is camp owner Dick Eastland, who reportedly attempted to save campers from the flood.

Despite continuing heavy rain and the prospect of more flooding, a well-resourced search and rescue effort is under way, and Gov. Greg Abbott has pledged to ensure that all remains are recovered.