A Texas father reportedly punched out a window to save his family during the recent flash floods, but in the process he severed an artery in his arm and ended up dying a hero’s death.
Julian Ryan was at his home along the Guadalupe River with his fiancée, Christina Wilson, and their children during the early hours of July 4, when “trees were thrown like toothpicks, and water quickly rose, leaving families with little time to comprehend what was happening,” KHOU reported.
As the water level quickly rose, 27-year-old Ryan’s quick thinking and leadership saved the lives of his family, and his mother as well.
Wilson said that within 20 minutes, the water level was up to their knees in the house.
“It just started pouring in, and we had to fight the door to get it closed to make sure not too much got in,” Ryan’s fiancée explained. “We went back to the room and started calling 911.”
Ryan finally made the difficult decision to punch out the window in an effort to get everyone to safety.
“It severed his artery in his arm and almost cut it clean off,” she added.
No one from emergency services was able to make it in time to save Ryan.
“By 6 (a.m.), he looked at me and the kids and my mother-in-law and said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m not going to make it. I love y’all,” Wilson explained.
Would you consider this man a hero?
She also said his body wasn’t recovered until after the waters had receded.
“He died a hero, and that will never go unnoticed,” Connie Salas, Ryan’s sister, said of the incident.
Kris Roberts, who knew Ryan, said: “He’s the kindest person I’ve ever met in my life, and I’ll forever love him no matter what.”
This is what integrity looks like. This is the very essence of self-sacrifice. Ryan stayed calm, shepherded his family through a crisis with disregard for his own life, and got the job done.
That’s called being a man. This is fatherhood. It’s a blessing, but also a duty.
The mainstream culture today preaches about the negative effects of toxic masculinity, but these are the stories reminding us that when danger comes, it’s the father’s job to protect his family.
The old adage of “women and children first” was not just a movie quote or a slogan to Ryan. He lived it.
The idea of living for oneself and being self-centered has often been promoted in American culture. Heroes like Ryan remind the world that there is more to life than just ourselves.
By living sacrificially for others, we imitate the God who made us and who provides us with every good thing. We usually have to pay a price in return, but it’s all for the greatest good.
The country needs more men like Ryan. We pray the good Lord grant him respite, and that we learn from his shining example moving forward.
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