Scott Ruskan had never been on a rescue mission when he boarded a helicopter to find a crowd of about 200 campers stranded by deadly flooding on July 4, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X: "United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Petty Officer Scott Ruskin, directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central Texas. This was the first rescue mission of his career and he was the only triage coordinator at the scene. Scott Ruskin is an American hero."