Amid catastrophic flooding sweeping across Texas, a young father’s final, heartbreaking words have come to define both the devastation and the heroism from the storms.
“I’m sorry, I’m not going to make it. I love y’all,” 27-year-old Julian Ryan told his family as he bled out inside their flooding trailer — after punching through a window to help his fiancée, two small children, and mother escape the rising waters of the Guadalupe River.
The family was jolted awake around 4 AM Friday in their home as the floodwaters crashed in. Ryan and fiancée Christinia quickly placed their children — ages 6 and 13 months — on a floating mattress and tried to hold back the incoming surge.
When the bedroom door burst open and water began taking over the room, Ryan smashed a window barehanded to give his family a way out, severing an artery and nearly losing his arm in the process.
Wilson says she repeatedly called 911, but rescuers couldn’t reach them in time. As the water climbed higher, Ryan realized his injuries were too severe.
“He looked at us and said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m not going to make it. I love y’all,'” his fiancée told KHOU. “Those were his last words.”
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The trailer was eventually ripped in half by the raging current, allowing the rest of the family to flee to safety. Ryan’s body wasn’t recovered until hours later, once the floodwaters began to recede.
“Julian gave his life for his family,” Christinia said. “He was the best father — joyful, selfless, and always there to help anyone.”
A GoFundMe created to support the family has raised over $25,000.
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The ongoing flooding crisis across parts of Texas has already claimed at least 59 lives as of Sunday morning as forecasters warn of more heavy rain to come in the already hard hit areas.
