Texas Man "Bleeds Out" After Cutting Artery While Saving Family From Floodwater
A Texas man is being hailed as a hero after he died while trying to save his family from the catastrophic flooding in areas near the Guadalupe River in the United States. Julian Ryan was at his Ingram home, which he shared with his fiancee, Christinia Wilson, their children and his mother when the floodwater began to rise on the morning of Friday, July 4.
"It just started pouring in, and we had to fight the door to get it closed, just so that too much didn't come in. We ran back to the room and we started calling 911," Wilson told CBS affiliate KHOU.
She said that within 20 minutes, the floodwater was up to their knees. With rising water levels and no help in sight, desperate Ryan punched through a window to get Wilson, their children and his mother to the roof.
But in the process, the 27-year-old injured himself. "(The glass) severed his artery in his arm and almost cut it clean off," according to Wilson.
27-year-old man dies while saving his fiancée, children & mom during the Texas flash floods
'I'm sorry, I'm not going to make it. I love y'all,' were Julian Ryan's last words.
When Ryan realized 911 wouldn't be able to save them in time as water rushed into the home, he punched… pic.twitter.com/SPAM3OSNgL
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 6, 2025
Despite heavy bleeding, he managed to get his family to safety. The family repeatedly dialled 911 to get help, but emergency personnel couldn't reach the home in time due to heavy flooding in the area, and Ryan bled to death.
"By six o'clock, (Ryan) was dead. He'd lost all his blood," Wilson said.
Recalling his last moments, she said that Ryan looked at her and the kids and his mother and said, 'I'm sorry, I'm not going to make it. I love you all."
Ryan's body was recovered hours later after the floodwater receded.
Texas Flooding
The number of deaths from catastrophic flooding in Texas rose to more than 100 on Monday, as rescuers continued their grim search for people swept away by torrents of water. Among the dead were at least 27 girls and counsellors who were staying at a youth summer camp on a river when disaster struck over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
The bulk of the deaths were concentrated in and around the riverfront town of Kerrville and the grounds of Camp Mystic, situated in a swath of Texas Hill Country known as "flash flood alley." Forecasters have warned of more flooding as rain continues in the area, complicating recovery efforts involving helicopters, boats, dogs and some 1,750 personnel.
President Donald Trump confirmed he planned to visit Texas on Friday, as the White House slammed critics claiming his cuts to weather agencies had weakened warning systems.
"Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday.
She said the National Weather Service, which The New York Times reported had several key roles in Texas unfilled before the floods, issued "timely and precise forecasts and warnings."
Trump has described the floods that struck in the early hours of Friday as a "100-year catastrophe" that "nobody expected." The president, who previously said disaster relief should be handled at the state level, has signed a major disaster declaration, activating fresh federal funds and freeing up resources.
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