Scott Ruskan didn’t expect his first mission as a Coast Guard rescue swimmer to make headlines across the nation. However, the 26-year-old, who once worked as a KPMG accountant in New Jersey, found himself at the center of a rescue effort that saved 165 people from devastating floods in Texas over the Fourth of July weekend.

As flash floods tore through central Texas, rivers rose by over 20 feet in just 90 minutes, leaving many families trapped and desperate for help. At Camp Mystic, a beloved Christian summer camp where 700 girls were staying, chaos turned into hope when Ruskan and his team arrived.

“This is what it’s all about,” Ruskan told The New York Post. “This is why we do the job.”

Serving as the only triage coordinator on the scene, Ruskan helped lead a mission alongside the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Air National Guard, and Texas Task Force 1 to get as many people to safety as possible. Despite the dangerous conditions, he and his team worked tirelessly, airlifting campers and staff to safety as floodwaters continued to rise.

“So we basically got the majority of the people out of Camp Mystic, which is awesome,” Ruskan said. “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.”

While many have called him a hero, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who praised his “extraordinary bravery” on social media, Ruskan remains humble about his role.

“I’m mostly just a dude,” he said. “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.”

As heartbreaking news of lives lost continues to emerge, Ruskan’s courageous actions remind us of the light God brings even in the darkest storms. His service reflects Jesus’ words in John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

President Trump has approved a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County, allowing further aid and resources to continue search and rescue efforts. Meanwhile, families across Texas are thanking God for the young man who was willing to risk everything so others could live.

On social media, Nick Sotor called Ruskan “the DEFINITION of an American hero.” But for Ruskan, it’s simple: “This is why we do the job.”

May we all carry the same courage and willingness to serve others, trusting that God can use ordinary people in extraordinary ways, even in the middle of the storm.