A Texas dad of two tragically lost his life while trying to save his family from devastating flooding — nearly severing his arm when he punched through a window as their home rapidly filled with water.
Julian Ryan, 27, along with his mother, his fiancée Christinia Wilson, and their 6-year-old and 13-month-old children, huddled together in the bedroom of their trailer home in Ingram as the rising waters of the Guadalupe River shocked them awake at 4 a.m. Friday, according to The New York Times.
“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 station KHOU.
Julian Ryan died after heroically saving his family from the deadly floodwaters in Texas on July 4, 2025.
With his two babies already perched on a floating mattress, the bedroom door suddenly burst open, flooding the room — and Ryan took a drastic action to save his family.
The brave father punched a hole in the bedroom window — severing an artery in his arm and nearly cutting the limb “clean off,” family members told KHOU.
Wilson said she repeatedly called 911, but rescuers were unable to reach their home in time to save her courageous fiancé.
“I’m sorry, I’m not going to make it. I love y’all,” Ryan told his family as he bled out in the flooded bedroom.
Christinia Wilson speaks to a reporter following the tragic death of her fiancé.
The waters kept rising with such force that they ripped the trailer in half, allowing the family to escape to safety—but without their brave dad, son, and husband, according to The Times.
“He was the best father and always such a happy person, never hesitating to help others no matter the cost,” Wilson said.
“Julian gave his life for his family, passing as a true hero. While his family is eternally grateful for his sacrifice, they remain shattered by their loss,” read a GoFundMe page that has raised over $25,000.
Ryan’s body was not recovered until hours later on Friday, after the waters in Kerr County began to recede.
The devastating flash flood has claimed 43 lives, including 15 children, and as many as 22 girls from the Christian summer retreat Camp Mystic remain unaccounted for.
