A huge flood drove Texas’ Guadalupe River’s level up 30 feet last weekend. The 4th of July weekend disaster caught many Texans off guard. The nation was glued to the news as the death toll rose. But the Coast Guard was prepared–as always. The heroic crew of a single rescue helicopter braved the storm to save 165 lives at Camp Mystic in Kerr County.

Many are familiar with the heart-wrenching story of Camp Mystic. With bridges and roadways flooded, and the water moving too fast for rescue boats, the only option was to evacuate the all-girls Christian summer camp by air. Texas’ Task Force 1 stepped up.

Task Force 1 is a disaster-ready partnership between the Army National Guard and Texas A&M Engineering. But for this mission, it knew it would need even more muscle. So Task Force 1 called the Coast Guard to request a rescue team.

The Coast Guard rescue team

The team that answered the call included an Aircraft Commander, Lieutenant Ian Hopper, Co-pilot, Lieutenant Blair Ogujiofor, flight mechanic Seth Reeves, and rescue swimmer, Petty Officer Scott Ruskan.

Their vehicle for the mission was the Coast Guard’s iconic MH-65E Dolphin helicopter. It’s powered by two Turbomeca Arriel 2C2-CG turboshaft engines that each make 853 horsepower. Its top speed is 210 miles per hour. The Dolphin is engineered for up to 12 passengers.

The team set out at 7 AM on the morning of Friday, the 4th. The 200 mile flight from Corpus Christi to Camp Mystic would take an hour in good conditions. The conditions were anything but “good.” Petty Officer Scott Ruskan said the helicopter ran into “some pretty, pretty nasty weather.”

It took the team four attempts to finally break through the brutal storm. Ruskan said it required additional support from the Army National Guard and six or seven hours to finally reach the camp. Flying over the devastation created by the flood he thought, “I’ve never seen anything this tragic in my life.”

Ruskan made it to the ground and realized there wasn’t another first responder in sight. There were “about 200 kids, mostly all scared, terrified, cold, having probably the worst day of their life.”

Making an impossible decision

Ruskan described the scene at Camp Mystic as “hectic.” The longtime director–Dick Eastman–had died trying to rescue campers. Confusion reigned.

The Coast Guard Petty Officer said of the campers, “They’re having probably the worst day of their life. They’re missing friends. They’re missing loved ones…They don’t know where they are. Some of them may be unaccounted for.” He added, “Some of them may be somewhere else.”

Many of the girls had fled their bunks unprepared and were barefoot. Others had cuts on their arms and legs from climbing rooftops to escape the water.

There was no way to fit a 100+ campers into the helicopter. Meanwhile, Task Force 1 was receiving calls to help with other life-or-death situations on the river. So Ruskan and the crew made a decision. He stayed behind at Camp Mystic, making room for 15 campers, and freeing up the crew to rescue others. Hopper, Ogujiofor, and Reeves were able to rescue 15 more children trapped in an even more precarious situation.

Ruskan stayed at Camp Mystic

For the next three hours, Ruskan stayed with the campers. He had little radio contact and no cell service. But tended to the wounded, organized the survivors, and offered comfort where possible. He found that  “could be something as simple as holding their hand.”

When the Texas Army National Guard was finally able to get through the storm and land multiple Black Hawk helicopters, Ruskan was still there. He loaded 10 to 15 girls at a time, sending out the youngest first. He even carried some of the girls to protect them from slipping on the wet, dangerous rocks. Sadly, at least 27 Camp Mystic campers and counselors had already died in the flood.

The Department of Homeland Security applauded the “extraordinary bravery and selfless service of Ruskan and his fellow first responders.” He was quick to say the counselors and tough kids were heroes. Ruskan also called out all the heroes in other agencies working hard during the Texas disaster.

Camp Mystic was Ruskan’s first mission as a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. His message for Camp Mystic is “You made me a better rescuer, because you guys were acting so bravely.” See Ruskan interviewed on CNN in the video below: