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.

An urgent alert was issued, and a Coast Guard helicopter and 45-foot response boat were deployed to search for the missing boat, the release said. After arriving at the search area, the Coast Guard boat crew spotted a flare burning in the distance - it was the missing vessel, officials say.

Scott Ruskan, a 26-year-old rescue swimmer with the U.S. Coast Guard, is being applauded as an "American hero" after his first mission saw him save 165 people affected by the flash floods in Texas. Newsweek reached out to Ruskan via social media message for comment outside of regular working hours.