The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday praised the members of the United States Coast Guard for their selfless bravery in rescuing victims of the catastrophic floods in Central Texas.
Among those heroes is USCG Rescue Swimmer Scott Ruskan, who "directly saved" 165 individuals during the first rescue mission of his career.
"His selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the [U.S. Coast Guard]," Noem added.
DHS also acknowledged 65 Aircrew members, including Lt. Ian Hopper, Lt. Blair Ogujiofor, and Flight Mechanic Seth Reeves, for answering the call of duty.
The crew departed early on the Fourth of July and encountered severe weather on its way to the flooding zone.
An hour flight took about seven to eight hours, according to Ruskan.
Once they arrived, they landed at Camp Mystic, a Christian's girl's camp located along the Guadalupe River. Torrential rains caused river to rapidly rise at 26 feet in just 45 minutes, according to officials.
He explained that the plan was to free up more space on the rescue helicopter so that victims could be taken to safety.
As part of that strategy, Ruskan remained with victims of the flooding, providing medical assistance and aiding with the evacuation efforts.
Ruskan, who quickly discovered that he was the only first responder at the scene, encountered nearly 200 children who looked terrified and cold. His job was to triage them and get them off the flood zone.
Although it was his first rescue mission, Ruskan relied on the high-level training he received to execute the rescue mission. He just finished his training six months ago.
But the real heroes are the children at Camp Mystic, Ruskan said. The rescue swimmer shared that he relied on them for inspiration during the rescue mission.
"Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly," it said in a statement on Monday. "We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls.
"We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from community, first responders, and officials at every level," the camp stated.
Officials said during a press conference that 10 campers and one counselors from Camp Mystic are still missing as of Monday morning.
It was not immediately clear what kind of evacuation plans Camp Mystic might have had.