165 Children Rescued from Texas Floods... Praise for Coast Guard Member in His Twenties as "True Hero"

Quick Response Prevents Major Loss of Life
First Mission After Completing Training Last Year

A U.S. Coast Guard rescue team member in his twenties has drawn attention after rescuing 165 children from the flood-stricken area in Texas, where more than 100 people have died.

On July 8, Yonhap News, citing The Washington Post and CNN, highlighted the heroic actions of Coast Guard Sergeant Scott Luskan. On the morning of July 4, Luskan received a call for a rescue team to respond to central Texas, where heavy rain was pouring down. He and other team members were dispatched to Camp Mystic near the Guadalupe River. At the time, more than 200 children, most of them terrified and shivering from the cold, were trapped at the site. Some children had injured feet because they were unable to properly wear their shoes.

Coast Guard rescue team member Sergeant Scott Luskan. Coast Guard Instagram

Luskan, who was the only emergency responder at the scene, first evacuated 15 children using the Coast Guard helicopter he had arrived in. He then helped load groups of 10 to 15 children at a time onto arriving National Guard aircraft. After about three hours of effort, he managed to rescue a total of 165 children attending the camp, preventing further loss of life. This was Luskan's first rescue mission, as he is a rookie rescue team member who completed his training last year. Luskan stated, "People are not looking for someone who wants to be a hero, but for someone who will help them. That’s why I am needed, and this time, I was able to play that role."

The death toll from heavy rain and flooding in central inland Texas, USA, has risen to 110. The Texas state government has reported over 170 missing persons, and the number of casualties is expected to increase further. AP·Yonhap News

Meanwhile, controversy has arisen as it became known that Ted Cruz, a Republican U.S. Senator from Texas, was on vacation in Greece while the state was being hit by floods. On July 4, a tourist spotted Senator Cruz in Athens, Greece, took a photo, and posted it on social media, revealing that Cruz was on vacation at the time. By then, more than 20 people had already died due to the flooding. In response to the controversy, Cruz's office explained that the vacation had been planned in advance and said, "He was trying to return as quickly as possible, given the circumstances." The office added that Senator Cruz departed Athens on the morning of July 6 and returned to Texas that night.

Meanwhile, the death toll from heavy rain and flooding in central inland Texas has risen to 110. The Texas state government has reported over 170 missing persons, and the number of casualties is expected to increase further. Notably, at Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' summer camp with nearly a century of history, 27 children were swept away and killed by the floodwaters. Including other small camps, a total of 30 children have tragically lost their lives, according to CNN and other foreign media. Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated, "Currently, there are 161 people unaccounted for in this region, and with an additional 12 reported missing in other areas, the total number of missing persons stands at 173."