PO 2nd Class Scott Ruskan, who saved 169 lives in the Texas Hill Country Floods, was awarded the Legion of Merit by President Trump at the 2026 State of the Union.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer stationed in Corpus Christi was awarded the Legion of Merit by President Donald Trump during Tuesday night’s State of the Union address.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott Ruskan, an Aviation Survival Technician assigned to Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi, received the military decoration — awarded to members of the Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through exceptionally meritorious conduct while performing outstanding service — for his role in rescue efforts during last year’s catastrophic Fourth of July weekend flooding in Texas’ Hill Country.

AST2 Ruskan was surprised with the announcement during the President’s speech and reunited on the House floor with a girl he helped rescue during the floods, marking the first time the two had seen each other since the life-saving operation, according to Trump. 

During the flooding response, Ruskan was deployed as part of an aviation crew after Texas A&M Task Force 1 requested federal assistance when the scale of the disaster became clear.

What was expected to be a one-hour flight into the region ultimately took between seven and eight hours as crews worked to reach areas cut off by rising waters. 

Ruskan flew alongside Lt. Blair Ogujiofor, Lt. Ian Hopper and Aviation Maintenance Technician 3rd Class Seth Reeves as hundreds of people were stranded by fast-moving floodwaters.

Officials said Ruskan helped rescue more than 169 people during the response and served as the only triage coordinator on scene during portions of the operation, providing medical assistance to victims while helping coordinate evacuations into assisting agencies’ aircraft.

Among those rescued were campers from Camp Mystic. In a July interview with 3NEWS, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said Ruskan had spoken with the parents of one young girl who told him through tears that he had saved their daughter’s life after she was pulled from the floodwaters and lifted to safety aboard a Coast Guard helicopter.

The Coast Guard said it conducted 12 flights into the affected area during the operation, including the rescue of 15 campers from the camp. A rescue swimmer remained with victims on the ground to assist with medical care and support evacuation efforts involving more than 230 people.