JORDAN RICE - AUSTRALIAN HERO

By Debbie Bulloch



As you all probably know by now, devastating floods have washed over large portions of Australia, covering the land in a muddy, brown sea. It is estimated that the flood waters now cover an area of Australia as large as the combined size of Germany and France.

The northeastern Australian state of Queensland remains burdened by deadly floods that have affected hundreds of thousands of residents in the past several days.
A tropical cyclone and heavy rainfall around Christmas inundated numerous river basins, affecting 200,000 people across a large area of Australia.



The Earth-observing Terra satellite, managed by NASA for an international consortium, photographed the swollen Fitzroy, Mackenzie, Comet and Dawson rivers in Queensland on December 31. At Rockhampton, a city on the Fitzroy with more than 60,000 residents, military aircraft are bringing in supplies after road closures cut the city off from the rest of the state.

Out of all of this devastation and human suffering, a tale of true heroism has emerged.

Jordan Rice, a 13-year-old Australian boy, has emerged as a tragic-heroic figure in news accounts of the disastrous Australian floods, after he asked a rescuer to save his little brother, Blake, before himself. Jordan Rice and his mother, Donna, were swept away by floodwaters and drowned before rescuer Warren McErlean could return for Jordan and his mother.

Jordan's father, John Tyson, told the Toowoomba Chronicle Jordan could not swim and was terrified of water.



"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 said. "He is our little hero."

Tyson told the paper his longtime partner, Donna Rice, was driving with two of her young sons in tire-level water when her engine stopped. She called for help and the three of them got on the roof of the car as the floodwaters rose quickly. Bystanders were not offering help until McErlean tied a rope around himself and went after them.

A wave of water was coming fast when McErlean reached them with the rope. "Save my brother first," Jordan said, according to McErlean.

Jordan and his mother were swept away and drowned--only 10-year-old Blake survived.

In this era of psychopathic killers and fake heroes, young Jordan Rice has emerged as a symbol of all that is good and kind and noble in the human race. By sacrificing his life so that his young brother could live, Jordan Rice has become a true modern hero.

Thank you and God Bless young Mr. Rice.

If you wish to help our Aussie brothers and sisters as they deal with the flood waters, please go here:

Australian Flood Relief



Or go here and see what my fellow bike riders are doing to help the Australian flood victims. Go cyclists!

CyclistsGet Ready to Help Australian Flood Victims