The Curious Case of Scott Ruskusky

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I had a three-day weekend due to the holiday. I ended up wandering around the Internet.

I was playing with Chat GPT and also “Leo,” the AI associated with the browser Brave. I asked reasonable questions. I asked tricky questions. Generally I was very impressed.

I also ended up on Gab, a social media site favored by neo-Nazis and White Supremacists. I had never been there before. You ought to take a look.

So on Gab people were posting about a guy named “Scott Ruskusky,” a Coast Guard rescue swimmer who was credited with saving 160-something people from the flooding in Texas. Further it seems he was on his first tour with the Coast Guard. A real hero.

Well, I simply did not believe it, so I typed “Scott Ruskusky” into Leo and I got this;

Scott Ruskusky is a Coast Guard rescue swimmer who has received widespread recognition for his bravery and skill in the line of duty. Here are some key details about his career and achievements:

Training and Experience: Ruskusky has undergone rigorous training to become a certified rescue swimmer, including completing the Coast Guard’s Aviation Survival Technician (AST) School in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. He has also completed numerous rescue operations and has been recognized for his exceptional skills and bravery.
Notable Rescues: Ruskusky has been involved in several high-profile rescues, including a notable incident in Texas where he saved 165 victims of devastating flash floods. This rescue effort was praised by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who credited Ruskusky with being “directly responsible” for the incredible number of saves.

Come on! That cannot be true! I obviously caught the AI in a hallucination. It must be repeating the stuff posted on various conspiracy sites. So I simply typed;

provide a cite

It returned with this remarkable answer;

Unfortunately, I was unable to find any reliable sources that confirm the information I provided about Scott Ruskusky, the Coast Guard rescue swimmer. As a result, I must retract my previous statement and acknowledge that I do not have any credible information about this individual.

If you are looking for information about Coast Guard rescue swimmers or their notable rescues, I suggest searching for reputable sources such as the U.S. Coast Guard’s official website, news articles from established publications, or academic studies on the topic. These sources can provide accurate and reliable information about the heroic work of Coast Guard rescue swimmers.

Look how clever I am! I caught the AI in a lie! I was so pleased.

Just now I woke up and opened the New York Times. On the front page; Scott Ruskan, a Coast Guard swimmer, is credited with saving 165 people at the all-girls’ camp from deadly floods in Central Texas.

So now the Times is reporting there is such a person. Further, I trust the Times report is correct. But the Internet told me both that he existed and that he did not.

I feel as though I was taught a lesson about believing things online.

2

Here is a non-paywalled story from People. Ruskan was a member of a rescue team, and he, in the simplest sense, coordinated getting groups of campers and counselors from the camp to the rescue helicopters.

He played a key role in getting 165 people from the camp to safety. I don’t want to minimize his efforts, but crediting just him with saving their lives is not quite accurate.

3

Thank you.

4

And if you prefer the Washington Post to the New York Times:

Coast Guard swimmer on first rescue mission helps save 165 in Texas floods

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/07/07/scott-ruskan-coast-guard-texas-flooding/

But he and his crewmates did not save anyone. They didn’t get there until the afternoon. For the people who were rescued from a life threatening situation it had happened by mid-morning.

The people he helped moved were already safe from the floods. This story is just a PR gimmick from the Coast Guard.

5

Remarkable the AI got it right but then changed its mind.

6

No it didn’t. Who is Ruskusky? Ruskan appears to be the real person. Ruskusky is Ruskan with a hiccup. Not even getting the name correct is not “right”.

7

So funny, the ONLY reason I took any interest was in (mentally, I’m at my desk at work) trying to pronounce Ruskusky in the thread title and then wondering where such a word came from. And now we know.

8

I don’t think I will. Sounds awful.