A 27-year-old father of two, Julian Ryan, died while trying to save his family during a devastating flash flood in Texas that has already claimed at least 50 lives. As floodwaters surged into their bedroom, Ryan punched through a window to help his family escape, almost cutting his arm “clean off” in the process. Ryan, along with his mother, his fiancée Christina Wilson, and the couple’s 6-year-old and 13-month-old were jolted awake at 4 am, Friday, by the rapidly rising water of the Guadalupe River. The family huddled close together in the bedroom of their trailer home in Ingram as floodwaters swept through, as reported by the New York Post. “It just started pouring in, and we had to fight the door to get it closed to make sure not too much got in,” Wilson told local KHOU.In the span of a few moments, the water was up to their waists, their front door burst open and the river water started pouring into their house, as per the New York Times. With water levels rising, the bedroom door burst open while their children were already on top of a floating mattress. In a frenzy, Ryan tried to punch a hole through the window in an attempt to escape. A sharp shard of glass had cut through his arm, which caused him to bleed profusely, said Ryan’s mother and fiancée in a phone call to the New York Times. He had severed an artery in his arm, family members told KHOU. Water levels were up to their chins as Ryan started to lose consciousness due to the heavy bleeding, and the women called 911 repeatedly but did not receive any response. “I’m sorry, I’m not going to make it. I love y’all,” Ryan had said. Water levels continued to rise and ripped their trailer home in half, and the family was able to flee to safety, but without Ryan. Ryan’s body was recovered hours later as water began to subside in Kerr County. “He was the best father, and was always such a happy person who was never above helping people, no matter what it cost,” Wilson said. Ryan had come home after a long night shift from a local restaurant where he worked as a dishwasher. The death toll in the deadly Texas flood has risen to 50, as 43 deceased individuals were recovered from Kerr County itself. “We have recovered 43 deceased individuals in Kerr County. Among these who are deceased, we have 28 adults and 15 children,” said Larry Leitha, the sheriff of the devastated region, reported AFP.Multiple flash flood warnings were issued in Central Texas as water tore through communities. The Guadalupe River rose by 26 feet (eight metres) in just eight minutes.
