CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — President Donald Trump honored a Coast Guard rescue swimmer during Tuesday night's State of the Union address, who saved more than 160 girls from a Texas summer camp during catastrophic flooding last July 4th.
Petty Officer Scott Ruskan, a rescue swimmer at Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi, and his crew rescued the girls from Camp Mystic during the flooding. Ruskan served as the helicopter swimmer on the ground during the rescue. It was his first rescue mission since enlisting in the U.S. Coast Guard in 2021.
At the State of the Union, Ruskan was reunited with an 11-year-old girl he saved, Milly Cate McClymond. The two stood side by side as Trump spoke.
"As the waters threatened to sweep her away, 11-year-old Milly Cate McClymond closed her eyes and prayed to God she thought she was going to die," Trump said. "Those prayers were answered when Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan descended from a helicopter above."
Congress gave Ruskan a standing ovation when he was honored during the Feb. 24 State of the Union.
“Petty Officer Ruskan, I’m pleased to inform you that I am now awarding you the Legion of Merit for Extraordinary Heroism, which is what it was. Extraordinary heroism. Thank you,” said President Trump.
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