A U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer is being called an American hero by many after he rescued nearly 200 people from the deadly floods that took place in Texas the weekend of July 4th. “This was the first rescue mission of his career,

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.

He stayed behind alone to comfort terrified campers while floodwaters rose around them. This Coast Guard hero was on his first mission.