Gerrard Kaonga
Communities in Texas have been devastated as a result of the recent floods, with one family revealing how a father gave his life to save his fiancée and children.
A state of emergency has been declared for counties in Texas after they were hit by flash floods on July 4.
Authorities have said one month’s worth of heavy rain fell in a matter of hours, leading to the Guadalupe River rising to the dangerous level of 26 feet.
They have also added that at this time, at least 50 people have lost their lives, including 15 children.
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One of the worst affected areas was Kerr County, and this is where one man gave his life to save his children, fiancée and his mother.
27-year-old Julian Ryan died after losing significant amounts of blood when he punched through a window as his home filled with water.
Ryan’s mother, fiancée Christina Wilson, and the couple’s six-year-old and 13-month-old children all huddled in the bedroom of their trailer home in Ingram as the sudden flooding shocked them awake at 4 am on Friday (July 4).
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Smashing the window so that his family reach the roof, it is reported that Ryan cut an artery in his arm, with Christina saying he almost cut his arm ‘clean off’ in the move.
She and her family also praised Julian’s efforts when speaking to the local news, also explaining his final words.
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’.”
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She added that she found Julian's body when the water receded, but it wasn’t recovered for hours.
His mom also said that her son was ‘the hero of this story’.
The family have insisted more needs to be done to help prevent disasters like this, noting that flood sirens could have saved lives.
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."
Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott added: "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."
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After learning about the floods, President Trump spoke to the press, describing the floods as a 'terrible thing'.
"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.