Jordan Rice, 13, Sacrifices Life to Save Brother in Queensland Flood

When the town of Toowoomba flooded, 13-year-old Jordan Rice bravely asked for his brother to be rescued first.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on January 13 2011

Jordan Rice, his younger brother Blake, and their mother were on a trip home from buying new school uniforms in Toowoomba, Australia on January 10th when a wall of water washed through the town. The frightened family climbed on top of the car to avoid the water, but the levels continued to rise.

Then a rescuer swam up to the family, with a rope to haul them to safety. Even though Jordan couldn’t swim and was afraid of deep water, he was thinking only of his 10-year-old brother. “Save him first,” he told the rescuer.

Jordan’s wish was followed, and Blake was lifted to safety. Tragically, when the rescuer swam back to help Jordan and his mother, the rope broke, and the pair drowned in the flood.

“I can only imagine what was going on inside to give up his life to save his brother, even though he was petrified of water,” his father, John Tyson, told the Toowoomba Chronicle. “He is our little hero.”

Our sympathies are with the Rice family, and the thousands of others whose lives have been devastated by the Queensland floods. To donate to flood relief, visit this site.

Filed under: Heroes,

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