Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Ruskan from NJ has been hailed an "American hero" for rescuing those in the Texas floods. Here's what to know.

The team deployed around 7 a.m. Friday from Corpus Christi, about 200 miles south of where the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas, had risen from about 3 feet to nearly 30 feet. Floodwaters in the area had swept through and battered several youth camps on the river banks — including Camp Mystic, the summer camp where they were headed.

The 26-year-old had left his previous career as an accountant before enlisting, and had graduated from rescue swimming school around six months ago.