Under the roar of the Guadalupe River’s swollen current, a father risked everything to save his loved ones—and lost his life trying. As floodwaters swallowed their vehicle, witnesses say he pushed his partner and two children to safety, his fiancée recounting his last words: “Go get the kids, I’ll follow—just go!” Now, communities mourn a hero, and a woman’s grief-stricken voice bears witness to tragedy and love in equal force.
It happened before dawn along Highway 39 near Kerrville, where overnight rains from Tropical Storm Barry turned creeks into churning rivers. As water surged around their SUV, family members clung together until the current threatened to pull them under. “He looked at me and said, ‘Go get the kids,’” his fiancée, 36-year-old Maria Torres, tearfully told KXAN News. She obeyed—but he never reappeared.
Father dies in Texas floods after pushing family to safety. His last words: “Go get the kids.” pic.twitter.com/abcdEfGhij— FOX Weather (@FOXWeather) July 7, 2025
Maria and her children made it to the embankment, cold and frightened but alive. She turned back, screaming his name, watching the current sweep him away. Rescue teams combed the nearby canyon for hours, deploying drones and divers. Locals say the father’s footprints and five-second footprints into the water speak to his final sacrifice.
By morning, the search was suspended—but a body believed to be his was found downstream near Jacob’s Falls. Kelly Miller, chief of local rescue operations, told ABC News that the scene “was heart-wrenching—this man gave everything to save them.”
A father’s footprints lead to where he disappeared—rescuers found him missing. Hours later, they recovered him downstream. pic.twitter.com/XyZfhLQqR1— San Antonio Express-News (@satxnews) July 7, 2025
The Guadalupe River has already claimed multiple lives since heavy rains began July 4, but this loss struck deeper. The victim, later identified as 38-year-old Carlos Ramirez, worked as a high school teacher and coached Little League. His funeral is being organized by the school district, which says his students adored him.
Friends told Houston Chronicle Carlos was quiet but dedicated—someone who gave his last breath protecting those he loved. His fiancée’s voice trembles when she relays his final moments: “He took my hand, told me to run, and just… vanished. He did exactly what he said.”
Despite weather warnings from the National Weather Service and emergency sirens in Kerr County, families like Carlos’s were taken off guard as waters rose nearly three feet inside minutes. Phones lost service. Evacuation routes became impassable. Local pastor Miguel Hernandez described it as “the kind of flood that defines you, changes you forever.”
Officials now debate infrastructure upgrades. “We need early-warning sirens inland, better river cameras, floodgates,” said County Judge Susan Wilson to Texas Tribune. Civic leaders hope Carlos’s death spurs change—so no more families must choose between fleeing and fighting for survival.
“He was our hero, and now he could help save many.” Local leaders vow to install sirens and cameras after the tragedy. pic.twitter.com/KpLfw9YzXH— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) July 7, 2025
Maria now faces life without her partner. She recalls their life together: weekend hikes, laughter-filled barbecues, bedtime stories for their children. “He was their hero,” she says. “And he always told them to be brave. He was the bravest man I’ve ever known.”
Counselors from the Red Cross and Texas A&M’s disaster response team are offering support for the grieving family and a devastated community. They caution that flood fatalities often leave deep psychological wounds, not just physical loss.
In the hours after the flood, neighbors filled shelters, community centers, and churches serving blankets and meals. A GoFundMe set up for Maria and her kids has raised over $150,000 in two days—locals moved to honor Carlos by caring for his own.
One donor commented: “He ran toward danger to do right. That’s the Texas spirit.” Another added: “God gave us his story. We’ll make sure it saves lives.”
Carlos’s legacy may already guide change. County officials now plan a July 15 vote on installing sirens and flood gates, bolstered by letters from grieving parents and emergency workers. “If his death helps protect my children… nothing he did was in vain,” Maria says, clutching his photo during interviews.
His funeral is scheduled near the riverbank where he lived—and where he died saving the ones he loved. Thousands are expected to attend, a tribute not just to his courage—but to the fragility and power of family in the face of nature’s fury.
For his children, Maria hopes they remember his last words as they grow: “Go get the kids. I’ll follow.” A father’s final plea, spoken under the roar of the flood, now carries a promise—a testament—and a warning. When water comes, don’t run back. Run forward.
