The year 2025 is marked by numerous reports of war, airline crashes, car accidents, and floods worldwide. Recently, a young, brave man died tragically while he desperately tried to save his family from rising flood waters in Ingram, Texas. The mass casualty in the Texas flood along the Guadalupe River was unpredictable. In fact, the forecast was unable to predict the severity of the rain and its potential impact on people and their lives. According to reports, 24 people have died due to the flooding, including a 27-year-old, Julian Ryan.
The 27-year-old Julian Ryan died of the injuries he sustained while saving his family from floods
According to CBS Austin, the 27-year-old man, Julian Ryan, sustained severe injuries while rescuing his family from rising water from the Guadalupe River, which rose 30 feet above its normal height, and swept into his family home. He died on July 4, 2025, while awaiting healthcare to reach him. The flood reached their home, giving families along the river no time to react.
Ryan saved his family from the rising floodwater in their home
For the unversed, Ryan lived in a mobile home in Ingram with his fiancee, Tina Wilson, their children, his mother and their pets. The family was completely trapped by the floodwater. When the water kept rising, Ryan made an attempt to break a window, so that the family could take refuge on the roof with their pets. In the process, he ended up slicing open his arm on the glass. He got severely injured and died from the excessive blood loss. His fiancee recalled the horrific moment and told Khou:
“[Water] just started pouring in, we had to fight the door to get it closed tried to hold the door closed, just so that too much didn’t come in. We ran back into the room and we started calling 911 but it just kept coming. We had no choice but to get out.”
The 27-year-old Texas father’s last words while saving his family
Ryan died around six in the evening due to the excessive blood loss. Holding back her tears, Wilson recalled the harrowing final moments of her fiance. She stated that he looked at her, their kids, and his mother one last time, and apologised as he could not make it. Quoting her fiance, Wilson said:
“He looked at me, the kids, and his mother and said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m not going to make it. I love y’all.'”
Ryan’s body was recovered in the morning after the water receded, but the young, fearless man had already left the world. Ryan’s bravery and will to save his family demonstrate that you do not need to wear a cape to be a hero. You are a ‘superhero’ through your actions and kindness for the world around you.
Sister of Ryan, who lived next door, recalled their last conversation
Ryan’s sister, Connie Salar, who lived next door, recalled their last conversation. She asked him he was okay, and he gave her a big ‘Yes’. He also enquired about her safety, and she screamed back saying she was ok, but she was scared of the flood, and Julian accepted he, too, was scared. Connie was quoted as saying:
“Julian, I was like, are you okay? He goes, Yes. He goes, Are you okay? I said, Yes. And then I screamed back. I was like, I’m scared. He goes, me too. And that was it. And after that, that was the last thing I heard from him.”
We pray for strength of the family who lost a heroic father, son, brother, and fiance, Julian Ryan will always be remembered for his efforts to keep his family safe.
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