Who is Scott Ruskan? All about Coast Guard rescue swimmer who saved hundreds of lives in Texas flash floods

Scott Ruskan’s actions have garnered praise from many amid the catastrophic flooding in Texas. The Coast Guard rescue swimmer is being hailed as a hero for reportedly saving 165 lives in his first mission, according to the New York Post. Ruskan spoke to the outlet afterwards and asserted:

“This is what it’s all about, right? Like, this is why we do the job.” 

Scott Ruskan added:

“This is why we take those risks all time. This is why, like Coast Guard men and women, are risking their lives every day.” 

According to New Jersey 101.5, Scott Ruskan is a native of Oxford, NJ, and got his high school diploma from Warren Hills Regional. According to his LinkedIn profile, the rescue swimmer later attended Rider University and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 2021, with a major in accounting. He also minored in Homeland Security Policy. 

During his four years at the university, Scott Ruskan also represented the Rider Broncs in track and field. For a brief period, he also served as an intern accountant at KPMG, but enlisted in the US Coast Guard as a Seaman Recruit in September 2021. Eventually, Scott Ruskan completed the Aviation Survival Technician A School training program. 

Per his LinkedIn profile, the NJ native serves as an Aviation Survival Technician 3rd Class. He is currently stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas. 

Scott Ruskan “directed Army Blackhawk 60s and MH-65s” to the survivors 

Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan saved 165 lives in the Texas flash floods.

The 26-year-old, a former KPMG accountant, directed Army Blackhawk 60s and MH-65s to survivors and helped get them to safety, according to the New York Post.

“Ruskan spearheaded a high-risk… pic.twitter.com/Mzl3qLAuTO

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 7, 2025

According to the New York Post, the Coast Guard rescue swimmer had been on call since November last year and was called in during the flash flooding in July 2025. He was among the Coast Guard personnel called in by Bryan Winchell, a helicopter search and rescue technician with Texas Task Force 1, the NY Post reported. Scott Ruskan told the outlet, 

“That’s a little bit outside our area of operation normally, but people were in danger, and we’re a good asset to try and help people out, and these guys were asking for help, so that’s kind of what we do.” 

Ruskan was deployed on the ground, triaging at Camp Mystic. He said (via the New York Post):

“My main job was triaging, and then my second job I kind of picked up was just trying to comfort these kids and the family members and counselors.” 

Ruskan directed the Army Blackhawk 60s and MH-65s towards the survivors and helped them get to safety, per the NY Post. At the same time, Scott continued to comfort the survivors, who were terrified following the flash flooding that occurred during the early hours of Friday, July 4. He told the New York Post, 

“So we basically got the majority of the people out of Camp Mystic, which is awesome. And I feel like we did a lot of good that day, but obviously it’s still super sad. There’s still a lot of people missing and unaccounted for, so the mission’s not over yet. It’s not over for us.” 

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…

— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) July 6, 2025

During his conversation with the NY Post, Scott Ruskan also reflected upon encountering crying adults, whose loved ones were still missing. For his efforts, many on social media, including the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, praised the Coast Guard rescue swimmer for his actions. In an X post, she addressed Ruskan as an “American Hero,” 

“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. His selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the @USCG.” 

Reacting to all the praise he has been getting online, Ruskan told the NY Post:

“Honestly, I’m mostly just a dude. I’m just doing a job. This is what I signed up for, and I think that any single Coast Guard rescue swimmer or any single Coast Guard pilot, flight mechanic, whoever it may be, would have done the exact same thing in our situation.” 

Rescue asserted that the rescue mission was what he and his fellow Coast Guard personnel “were asked to do” and they were “gonna do it.” He stated that regardless of who was on duty, they would have put in the same efforts.