KERRVILLE, Texas – It was Scott Ruskan’s first mission as a rescue swimmer for the U.S. Coast Guard on the Fourth of July along the Guadalupe River.
He’s credited with saving 169 people from the floods, including girls from Camp Mystic.
Ruskan told reporters during a Friday news conference that the Coast Guard crew relied on their training to get through it.
“I think we really just had to rely on our training,” Ruskan said. “That’s the only thing we had.”
The past week has been an emotional rollercoaster for Ruskan as the Coast Guard worked to rescue people affected by the catastrophic floods in Texas.
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“Sometimes you feel awesome because you know that you saved so many lives, but on the other hand, you know there are so many people that are reeling and feeling terrible,” Ruskan said.
Ruskan said his heart goes out to all those impacted by the floods.
“It’s been awesome to feel recognized and feel like we did a great mission, but we also know that the mission is ongoing, and there are still a lot of people that are seriously affected,” Ruskan said.
One rescue mission, in particular, has stayed with Ruskan. He recalled a young girl who asked if she could bring her stuffed animal on the helicopter.
“The obvious answer was yes,” Ruskan said.
Other Coast Guard crew members shared their own memories from the flood rescues.
One male Coast Guard member, a father of two daughters under the age of 5, described a moment when a group of girls entered the helicopter cabin.
One girl sat in the far back “swimmer seat” with tears streaming down her face.
“She’s scared. She may have just lost her sisters; she may have just lost her friends,” he said. “I turn around and give her a thumbs up, and I look in her eyes, and she looks back at me and gives me a thumbs up back.”
He said the girl was very scared but trying to be brave.
“I felt like a dad that was rescuing his daughters, and that was very impactful to me,” Ruskan said.
He said the children on the ground showed a range of emotions — some were happy to be rescued, while others cried or were upset.
Many asked where their family members were, and Ruskan tried to comfort them.
“I think the biggest thing is just telling them, ‘Hey, my job right now is to get you guys off this camp and to a higher level of care and to safety,’” Ruskan said. “I would just reassure them that other people are here looking.”
The mission continues as rescuers work tirelessly to bring relief to those affected by the Hill Country floods.
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