India, July 7 -- A 26-year-old Coast Guard rescue swimmer is being called an "American hero" after saving 165 people during his very first rescue mission. It happened during severe flooding in Central Texas.

Petty Officer Scott Ruskan, from New Jersey, was part of the emergency team sent to Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls that was one of the worst-hit areas along the Guadalupe River.

Kristi Noem, the US Secretary of Homeland Security, praised him on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Petty Officer Scott Ruskin directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central Texas. This was the first rescue mission of his career and he was the only triage coordinat...