A New Jersey man is being hailed a hero for his role in saving 165 people from the deadly Texas flooding.

Scott Ruskan, a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer and petty officer from Oxford Township in Warren County, completed his first rescue mission.

“There was just a lot of scared kids. You have anyone from the ages of 7 to 17, as well as their camp counselors...everyone is pretty terrified,” says Ruskan. “These people are having the worst day of their lives, and it's my job to make it as comfortable as possible.”

Ruskan credits the flight crew for flying through dangerous conditions to get them as fast as possible to those in need.

Heavy rains drenched Central Texas, causing the Guadalupe River to rise more than 20 feet and leaving people with little time to escape.

Texan officials say the death toll from the floods is now at least 104, as a massive search for the missing continues.

Searchers in hard-hit Kerr County have found the bodies of 84 people, including 28 children. The county is home to several summer camps. Some were not evacuated ahead of the flooding.