The waters rose fast in Central Texas.
On July 4th, as flood levels surged around the Guadalupe River, panic swept through Camp Mystic—a Christian summer camp for girls—where 750 children had been attending. The historic flood had already claimed over 80 lives across the region. More than 40 people were missing. And Camp Mystic was suddenly at the center of it all.
At dawn that day, 26-year-old Scott Ruskan was jolted awake by a knock on his door. He was given no briefing—just a question:
“Do you have a chainsaw?”
A helicopter crew member stationed near Corpus Christi, Ruskan had no idea that within hours, he would become a critical part of one of the largest rescue efforts the area had ever seen. He and his team battled low visibility and dangerous weather for nearly six hours before reaching San Antonio. “I had to grip the seat the whole way,” he later recalled.
When they finally arrived near Hunt, Texas, the scene was overwhelming. Camp Mystic was surrounded by floodwaters. Children in pajamas, some barefoot, were stranded, frightened, and cold. Helicopters—including 12 others from the National Guard—began landing on makeshift zones: the archery range and the soccer field.
Ruskan quickly realized the aircraft could carry more if he stayed behind.
“I told my team: Let me stay. I can help more from the ground.”
And help he did.
Over the course of the day, 165 people were rescued because of his presence and persistence. He tended to minor injuries. He comforted terrified children—many of them soaking wet, missing shoes, and clutching stuffed animals. Some were crying for friends they had lost in the chaos. Others simply stared, silent and shaken.
“They needed someone to look at. Someone who could say, ‘It’s going to be okay.’ So I stayed.”
One little girl asked him, “Can I bring my stuffed animal?”
He smiled and said, “Of course you can.”
Ruskan became a beacon of calm in the center of a storm—both literal and emotional.
He wasn’t alone in his efforts. Over 1,700 rescue personnel, volunteers, and locals joined the mission using helicopters, boats, horses, even golf carts to reach the stranded. Among the miraculous stories: a 22-year-old woman clinging to a tree through the night, a child floating for hours on a mattress, a mother and her son hugging a tree to avoid being swept away.
By nightfall on July 5th, over 850 people had been saved. But the heartbreak was still unfolding: at least 82 lives lost, including 28 children. Among the missing were 10 campers and a counselor from Camp Mystic.
In a press conference, Governor Greg Abbott promised:
“We won’t stop until every child from Camp Mystic, and every missing person, is found.”
President Trump signed a federal disaster declaration the next morning to accelerate aid.
Officials urged civilians to stay away from flooded zones and avoid using drones that could interfere with search efforts.
Back at Camp Mystic, Scott Ruskan continued his mission—one child at a time. For every group loaded into helicopters, he made the same vow:
“I’ll be back for the rest of you.”
And they believed him.
Because sometimes, heroes don’t wear uniforms. They wear soaked clothes, mud-streaked hands, and quiet promises made in the middle of chaos.
And sometimes, it only takes one man to carry 165 futures to safety.
