Live updates: Texas flooding news, Camp Mystic confirms camper deaths

US Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan, who was assisting with search and rescue efforts in Texas, has been hailed as a hero after saving 165 people, many of them young children at a summer camp.

Now, Ruskan has a message for the kids he saved: “Seriously, you guys were the best. I’m sorry this happened to you guys, but you guys were so brave and tough, and it made me a better rescuer, because you guys were acting so bravely.” Ruskan said on CNN News Central.

The young rescue swimmer embarked on his first mission, along with other Coast Guard members who were deployed to the area Friday. President Donald Trump later signed a major disaster declaration Sunday, unlocking additional federal resources to the state.

What should have been a one-hour flight into the landing zone near the camp took about seven or eight hours due to the severe weather that caused “some of the worst flying we’ve ever dealt with,” Ruskan told ABC’s Good Morning America.

After about four attempts to land, Ruskan made it into Camp Mystic alone, with his team needed elsewhere to perform rescues.

“We heard there was about 200 campers there and they were in need of air lift. There was no other way to get them out. Bridges were gone, roadways were gone, and the water was coming up too high for boat rescue,” Ruskan told CNN’s Boris Sanchez.

“Cell service was bad. Radio reception was bad on my comms, so I really didn’t have any communication with the outside for about three hours,” he added.

He led the children, about 10 to 15 at a time, to army helicopters ready to take them to higher ground.

“Those guys are heroic. And you know, they were dealing with some of the worst times of their lives, and they were staying strong, and that helped inspire me to kind of get in there and help them out.”

Though it was his first mission, Ruskan told ABC he was well-prepared.

“I really just kind of relied on the training we get. Coast Guard rescue swimmers get some of the highest level training in the world,” he said. “Any of the rescue swimmers in the Coast Guard would have done the exact same, if not better than me.”

Many have exalted Ruskan’s efforts, including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who called him “an American hero” in a post on X.

“I’m just a dude,” Ruskan told CNN. “You know, I chose to enlist in the Coast Guard. Anyone is able to do this. Anyone’s able to do this job, if you raise your right hand to do it, so I’m just happy I was given the opportunity to help these people out.”

Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated the day Ruskan was deployed. It was Friday.