Torrential rains over the July 4 weekend sent the Guadalupe River surging more than 20 feet in less than two hours, triggering catastrophic flash floods across Texas Hill Country. Local authorities put the statewide death toll at more than 80, with campers and counselors from Camp Mystic near Kerrville among the dozens still unaccounted for. Into that chaos, Petty Officer 3rd Class Scott Ruskan—a 26-year-old Coast Guard rescue swimmer on his very first mission—was lowered by helicopter onto the campgrounds. Finding himself the only responder on site, Ruskan established triage, calmed terrified children and, working with Army Black Hawk and Coast Guard MH-65 crews, oversaw the airlift of 165 campers and staff to safety. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Ruskan "directly saved 165 lives," praising his "selfless courage" as emblematic of the Coast Guard’s ethos. The New Jersey native and former KPMG accountant, now stationed at Air Station Corpus Christi, dismissed the hero label, telling broadcasters he was "just doing the job" for which he was trained. More than 20 agencies remain on search-and-rescue duty as saturated ground and additional rainfall keep the region on alert. Federal and state officials, including President Donald Trump, plan site visits later this week while inquiries begin into emergency-warning procedures ahead of one of the deadliest U.S. flood events in recent years.