Scott Ruskan accepted the national honor and credited fellow first responders, pilots and campers for their bravery during the Texas Hill Country flood response.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer stationed in Corpus Christi has been honored with one of the nation’s highest awards for service after helping save 165 people during last year’s deadly Texas Hill Country floods.
Petty Officer Scott Ruskan received the Pat Tillman Award for Service during the ESPYS on Wednesday night, recognizing his extraordinary actions during the catastrophic flooding that devastated Camp Mystic along the Guadalupe River.
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Ruskan, stationed in Corpus Christi, was part of the first Coast Guard aircrew dispatched to the flood zone after helicopters were launched into dangerous weather to rescue stranded campers and staff.
When he arrived, Ruskan found himself as the first rescue personnel at Camp Mystic, where nearly 200 campers had been stranded for hours by rapidly rising floodwaters.
“I took maybe like five seconds to myself to look around and realize there were a lot of people here that needed to get out, and I was the one getting them out,” Ruskan said during a video shown before accepting the award.
Working alone on the ground until additional helicopters arrived, Ruskan organized an evacuation, loading groups of 10 to 15 children onto rescue helicopters at a time. He was ultimately credited with helping save 165 lives.
During his acceptance speech, Ruskan said the recognition belongs to everyone involved in the rescue mission.
“There were a lot of heroes that day that aren’t getting an ESPY,” Ruskan said. “The campers and camp counselors who helped each other before we ever got there saved way more lives than we did.”
He also praised his Coast Guard flight crew, saying pilots flew through some of the worst conditions they had ever experienced to reach those trapped by floodwaters.
“I’m obviously not a pilot,” Ruskan said. “I would never have been able to get to that evacuation site if our pilots and flight mechanic hadn’t gotten us there safely.”
Ruskan also recognized members of the Texas Army National Guard and other rescue agencies that worked alongside the Coast Guard during the response.
“It took a complete army of people to get this done,” he said. While accepting the award, Ruskan remembered the 28 people who lost their lives in the flooding and said many of the first responders involved in last year’s rescue are once again helping Texans impacted by flooding.
“I’m back on duty Friday. I will be back there,” Ruskan said. “I’m incredibly honored to accept the Pat Tillman Award on behalf of all of them.”
Ruskan enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard after graduating from Rider University in 2021, saying he was drawn to the service because of its search-and-rescue mission.
“The main thing that really stuck out was helping other people and hopefully saving lives,” he said.