TopRank: Scott Ruskan

Petty Officer 3rd Class Scott Ruskan was recently named an “American hero” by the Department of Homeland Security after saving 165 lives at Camp Mystic, a girl’s summer camp along the Guadalupe River in Texas where 27 people died in the July Fourth weekend's catastrophic flooding. It was his first rescue mission with the Coast Guard.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem presents medals to Lieutenant Ian Hopper, Lieutenant Blair Oguiofor, Petty Officer 3rd Class Scott Ruskan, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Seth Reece of Air Station Corpus Christi during a ceremony on July 11, 2025. 

“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. His selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the USCG.,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said.

The 26-year old New Jersey native was based at the U.S. Coast Guard's Air Station Corpus Christi and was part of a team of four (photo below) sent nearly 200 miles north to save people from the devastating floods. Two pilots, a flight mechanic, and Ruskin, making up Rescue 6553, battled “nasty” weather for hours before landing. Normally that flight should’ve taken just an hour.

"They said it was probably some of the worst conditions they've ever flown in," Lt. Commander Steven Roth, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard, told the Houston Chronicle. 

The river rose from three feet to nearly 30 feet. Floodwaters were too high for boat rescue so airlift was the only option. He had only completed his rescue swimming training six months prior.

"I really just kind of relied on the training we get. Coast Guard rescue swimmers get some of the highest level training in the world. So really just kind of relied on that, just knowing that any of the rescue swimmers in the Coast Guard would have done the exact same if not better than me," he said.

In an interview a week after the tragic floods, Ruskin said, “The experience was an emotional rollercoaster. Sometimes you feel awesome because you know you saved so many lives, but on the other hand you know there’s still people reeling and really feeling terrible and they’re completely justified in that. Our hearts go out to all the crews and all the people affected.”

He called the kids at Camp Mystic the “real heroes” for staying strong during the crisis.

“They were going through some of the worst times of their lives, and they were staying strong. That helped inspire me to kind of get in there and help get them out.” When asked if one particular rescue stays in his mind, he said, “One little girl asked if there was room for her stuffed animal on the helicopter. The obvious answer was yes. Who am I to say no? That one sticks out.”

Ruskin enlisted in the Coast Guard in his senior year at Rider University in 2021. He earned his BS in Accounting with a minor in Homeland Security Policy and was on the cross-country team. He had a brief accounting career at KPMG before turning his focus to service.

Last week Ruskin received the Distinguished Flying Cross, an award given for “heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight.”