The recent floods in Texas have destroyed communities; one family has shared how a father sacrificed his life to save his fiancée and children.
Texas counties that experienced flash floods on July 4 have been placed under a state of emergency.
According to authorities, the Guadalupe River rose to a perilous 26-foot level after a month’s worth of intense rain poured in a few hours.
Additionally, they stated that at least 50 people, including 15 children, have died as of this writing.
One man sacrificed his life to save his mother, his fiancée, and his children in Kerr County, one of the most severely impacted locations.
Julian Ryan, 27, lost a lot of blood when he punched through a window as his house filled with water, and he died as a result.
When the unexpected flooding woke them up at 4 a.m. on Friday, July 4, Ryan’s mother, fiancée Christina Wilson, and the couple’s six-year-old and 13-month-old children were all gathered in the bedroom of their caravan home in Ingram.
According to reports, Ryan sliced an artery in his arm when he smashed the window to get his family to the roof. Christina claims that he nearly cut his arm “clean off” in the process.
When she and her family spoke to the local news, they also explained Julian’s last remarks and commended his efforts.
Speaking to KHOU 11, his fiancée said, “By 6 o’clock my husband was dead, he had lost all of his blood. He looked at me and the kids, my mother in law and said ‘sorry I’m not going to make it, I love ya’ll’.”
She also mentioned that she discovered Julian’s body after the water subsided, but it took hours for it to be recovered.
Additionally, his mother described her son as “the hero of this story.”
Noting that flood alarms could have saved lives, the family has asked that more be done to help prevent tragedies like this one.
Col. Freeman Martin, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said on Friday, “We brought in over 100 troopers this morning. And they’ve worked all day, rescues, high water vehicles, boats, rescue divers, seven rescue helicopters with hoist capabilities.”
In the meantime, Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated, “We will stop at nothing to ensure that every asset and person and plane, whatever is needed, is going to be involved in the process of rescuing every last person and ensure everybody involved in this is going to be fully accounted for.”
President Trump told the media that the floods were a “terrible thing” after learning about them.
“It looks like some young people have died,” Trump said, adding that his administration would work with Abbott to provide aid and support to the state during this extremely difficult time.
