Non swimming 13 year old Australian boy hero Drowns After telling rescuers his Brother should Saved First

An Australian teenager is being called a hero for insisting his younger brother be rescued first from floodwaters - before he was washed away in a trapped car.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, non-swimmer Jordan Rice, 13, told rescuers to save his 10-year-old brother Blake as the family car was engulfed by a wall of water.

The paper described the heroic decision by Jordan on Monday afternoon as one that cost him his life.

Rescuer Warren McErlean said water raced through Toowoomba, rising eight inches in 10 seconds, according to a water depth gauge in the flooded street.

The two boys and their mother, Donna, 43, had been trapped by the surging floodwaters.

"When I first saw the car the water was up to the number plate," builder Mr McErlean, 37, told the paper.

"I thought I would push it backwards but by the time I walked 20 metres (65ft), it was up on the bonnet and coming up the windscreen."



Mr McErlean tied a lifeline around his waist, secured it to a post and tried to wade out to the car but the torrent pushed him downstream, nearly drowning the rescuer.

Another onlooker, identified only as Chris, pulled Mr McErlean to safety before they both attempted to reach the car again and haul teenager Jordan to safety.

But Jordan insisted his brother be first out of the car, with Chris handing him to Mr McErlean, as the force of the water risked sweeping them off their feet.

"I had the boy in one hand, the rope in the other. I wasn't going to let go but then the torrent came through and was pulling us down," Mr McErlean said.

Chris hauled Blake to dry land and the rescuers went back to try to get Jordan and his mother, but the car was swept away.

"The rope snapped and the car just flipped. The others were just gone, just disappeared," Mr McErlean said.

Jordan's father John Tyson said: "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.

"He is our little hero. Jordan can’t swim and is terrified of water.

"But when the man went to rescue him, he said 'save my brother first'."



Fantastic young man, i salute you Jordan....

read it earlier on bloody shame puts life in perspective

What a sad but a warm and selfless act. Doubt many would do the same at that age as did that lad.

fair play to him, pity there aren't moew in the world like that young lad. Shame he didn't make it. RIP