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Father of two dies in Texas floods after almost cutting arm ‘clean off’ while trying to save his family
Ryan, who worked as a dishwasher at the local restaurant, and his fiancee noticed the flooding when the water was up to their ankles.
A father of two in United States' Texas reportedly lost his life on Friday while trying to save his family during the flash floods, almost cutting his arm “clean off”.
Julian Ryan, 27, punched through the window of his room to try to save his family - his mother, his fiancée Christinia Wilson, and the couple's 6-year-old and 13-month-old children.
The family was in the bedroom of their trailer home in Ingram when the flooding woke them up at 4 am in the morning, the New York Times reported.
Ryan, who worked as a dishwasher at the local restaurant, and his fiancée noticed the flooding when the water was up to their ankles. Following this, his mother and 6-year-old son rushed to the bedroom to take shelter, as per NYT.
Wilson said that immediately after that, the water reached up to their waists after the front door of the trailer burst open and water gushed into the house.
The couple put their two children on a mattress, using it as a float. But the bedroom door was forced shut due to the water pressure from the other side, leading to Ryan trying to punch through the windows to escape.
Also Read | Texas floods: What caused the deadly Kerr County storm?
The effort led to a sharp glass cutting through his arm, according to his mother and Wilson. Both survivors – Wilson and Ryan's mother – tried to dial 911, but no personnel arrived as the water level rose.
“He had lost so much blood and knew he wasn’t going to make it,” NYT quoted Wilson as saying. The trailer was eventually torn apart by the force of the flood waters, with everyone but Ryan surviving the tragedy.
“He died trying to save us," Wilson said, adding that Ryan was the “best father” and was always helping people out, “no matter what it cost”.
The flash floods in Texas have led to the deaths of 51 persons, with several including 27 girls who were attending a summer camp in Kerr county missing.
Rescuers are using helicopters, boats and drones in their search for victims and to locate stranded survivors.
