New Jersey
Who is Scott Ruskan? NJ Coast Guard officer saves kids at Camp Mystic, Texas flooding
Coast Guard member from NJ helps rescue 165 in Texas floods
Scott Ruskan, a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer and petty officer from Oxford Township in Warren County, completed his first rescue mission.
News 12
New Jersey native and Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Ruskan was sent on his first mission to central Texas to assist with catastrophic flooding during July 4th weekend and is now being dubbed an “American hero.”
Ruskan, a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer from Oxford, New Jersey, is being credited with saving 165 kids and camp counselors from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp where around 200 children were trapped by rising flood waters.
The death toll reached over 100 on July 8 as search and rescue operations continued after heavy rainfall overwhelmed the Guadalupe River, which sent floodwaters through homes and summer camps. President Donald Trump said Monday he plans to visit the ravaged southern state this week.
Here’s what to know about Ruskan, his NJ connection and the latest on the devastating floods.
Who is Scott Ruskan?
Petty Officer 3rd Class Scott Ruskan is a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer from Oxford Township in Warren County. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting, with a minor in Homeland Security Policy, from Rider University in 2021, according to his LinkedIn page. He is a 2017 graduate of Warren Hills High School, who recognized their alumnus in a Facebook post.
What did Ruskan do?
Scott Ruskan was on his first rescue mission in Texas during the catastrophic floods when he was credited with rescuing 165 people, mostly kids from Camp Mystic, as floodwaters burst through homes and campsites.
Ruskan told Good Morning America he had “about 200 kids all scared and terrified, cold, probably having the worst day of their life,” explaining that he relied on the high-level training he received as a Coast Guard rescue swimmer to bring victims to safety.
Ruskan has been stationed at US Coast Guard Station Corpus Christi, about 210 miles from Kerrville in central Texas, where the Guadalupe River flooded its banks. He told GMA it took nearly six hours to reach the flood zone due to the weather, and once he landed, he was the only certified rescue swimmer on scene at Camp Mystic.
Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, dubbed Ruskan an “American hero” in a post on the X platform, remarking that it was Ruskan’s “first rescue mission of his career and the only triage coordinator on scene.”
“His selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the USCG,” she added.
Where is Oxford NJ?
Oxford, New Jersey, is a township in Warren County and spans just six square miles. It is in the northwest portion of New Jersey and has a population of around 2,400, according to 2020 US Census data.
Camp Mystic updates today
Among those killed in the Texas floods are at least 27 children and counselors from the storied Camp Mystic, a Christian girls camp in Kerr County, Texas, where flooding hit hard during July 4th weekend, according to USA Today. Ten Mystic campers and one counselor remained unaccounted for as of Tuesday morning, July 8.
Texas flood death toll
The death toll in the Texas floods was at least 104 people, including at least 27 children and counselors from Camp Mystic, as of Tuesday morning, according to USA Today, where live updates are being provided.
When is Trump going to Texas?
President Donald Trump said he would visit Texas on Friday, July 11 as the state reels from devastating floods that left 100 people dead over the July 4th weekend. Trump confirmed his trip with reporters during a White House dinner Monday night with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Texas was just so badly hurt by something that was a big surprise, late in the evening,” Trump said. “So, we’ll be working with the governor and all of the people of Texas. We’ll be going on Friday.”
Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.
New Jersey
Wrong-way driver charged in I-80 crash that injured N.J. State Police trooper
An alleged drunk, wrong-way driver was arrested following a crash on Interstate 80 in Warren County, officials said.
Robert Felegi was driving a pickup truck west in the eastbound lanes in Knowlton when he crashed head-on into a New Jersey State Trooper’s vehicle near milepost 1.4 around midnight Tuesday, State Police said.
The trooper had emergency lights and sirens activated while trying to alert motorists of a hazard ahead, authorities said.
The trooper suffered minor injuries, while Felegi was not hurt.
Felegi, 67, of Middleport, Pennsylvania, was charged with assault by auto and driving under the influence.
He was brought to the Warren County jail ahead of a detention hearing. An attorney for Felegi is not listed in court records.
investigation, and no additional information is available.
New Jersey
NJ casino workers continue push to end smoking loophole
TRENTON, N.J. (WPVI) — New Jersey casino workers, who are pushing to permanently ban smoking in their workplaces, held a rally in Trenton on Monday.
A hearing was held to discuss a lawsuit that aims to close the smoking loophole in the Garden State.
For years, casino workers have been pursuing protections against secondhand smoke in their workplaces.
RELATED | Judge allows smoking to continue in Atlantic City casinos, dealing blow to workers
New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act largely bans indoor smoking, but casinos have a long-standing exemption.
The lawsuit filed last April by the United Auto Workers, which represents dealers at the Bally’s, Caesars and Tropicana casinos.
In August 2024, a judge ruled in favor of the casinos to allow smoking to continue.
“Casino workers are expected to clock in to work every day despite inevitably facing a toxic environment that could cause countless health issues, including cancer, heart disease, and asthma,” said Nancy Erika Smith, the lawyer representing Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) and the UAW on Monday.
“We’re asking the court to find the exemption in New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act unconstitutional and void it immediately. We hope this case will serve as a precedent for casinos across the country to close their smoking loopholes and stop poisoning their workers,” added Smith.
The casinos have warned that thousands of jobs and millions in gambling revenue and taxes could be lost if smoking was banned.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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New Jersey
11-Vehicle Crash Closes Turnpike, College Student Abducted: NJ Weekend
A teenager was shot to death in Jersey City, a woman was killed in a fiery crash with a dump truck in Ocean County, and a man is in critical condition after an SUV hit him in a Princeton crosswalk.
Here are the headlines from the weekend in New Jersey you may have missed.
Teen Shot Dead In Jersey City Apartment, Prosecutor Says
A 16-year-old boy was found shot to death in Jersey City on Friday night, prosecutors said.
Woman Killed In Fiery Head-On Dump Truck Crash In Ocean County
A woman was killed Friday when her van hit a dump truck head-on in Jackson and burst into flames, Jackson police said.
Evelin Villanueva-Detejeda, 43, of Perth Amboy, was killed in the crash that happened about 2 p.m. on Toms River Road (Route 571) near Osprey Place, Sgt. Edward Travisano said.
Six people sustained minor injuries in the collision late Friday afternoon, according to State Police Tpr. Christopher Postorino.
Read more: 11-Vehicle Crash, Overturned Truck Shut Down Turnpike In South Jersey: Police
NJ College Student Abducted From Campus, Sexually Assaulted By Armed Man, Police Say
A Union County man is facing a slew of charges after kidnapping a woman, according to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.
Akram Elsayed, 28, of Roselle, has been arrested after an investigation found that he’d kidnapped a woman and handcuffed her to the door of a car, police said.
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