HOUSTON — U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Ruskan, whose widely shared story of bravery during the deadly Fourth of July flooding in Central Texas drew national attention, has been selected as the grand marshal of the 2026 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ Downtown Parade.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is from July on the recues in the Texas Hill Country.

Ruskan, 26, earned recognition after helping save 165 children and staff from rapidly rising floodwaters at Camp Mystic, a century-old girls’ summer camp along the Guadalupe River. The mission unfolded amid more than 850 high-water rescues across the Texas Hill Country.

Sadly, 27 counselors and young campers in the cabins closest to the river were swept away by floodwaters before rescuers could reach them.

The Department of Homel

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