This is 13 year old Jordan Rice.
Jordan was coming back Monday from picking up his new school uniform (he would have started his second year of high school next week) with his mum and younger brother 10 year old Blake.
However when the “tsunami” of water that flash flooded Toowoomba barreled down the Lockyer Valley, Jordan, Blake and his mum became trapped in their car as the flood waters hit.
Before long a truck driver stopped to help and swum upto the family with a rope tied to his rig, but Jordan, all of 13 years of age (and petrified of water) gave up his own chance for survival telling the rescuer “save my brother first”.
Blake made it to safety.
Yet when their rescuer returned to tie the rope around Jordan and his mum; it broke and they were swept away. They clung onto a tree for as long as they could, yet the water was too strong, and they were lost.
18 other people are confirmed to have died in the floods, and 78 are still missing. Each of them would have faced the same horror that Blake, Jordan and him mum did.
Jordan’s father, John, who wasn’t with his family at the time called his son “our little hero”.
John, your son is no little hero, this bravery, this selflessness deserves to be heard world-wide; and as Jordan’s name trends across online communities, I hope it is.
As a father I couldn’t imagine losing a child, I hope I never have to, but through that grief and pain John, I hope you feel the pride in the man you raised.
I wanted to post his photo and tell his story, so I could pay any kind of tribute to this kid, and his true bravery.
You can donate to the flood appeal to help the thousands of people left homeless by visiting the Premier’s Relief Fund.
