Texas Man Rescued from Floodwaters by Son-in-Law

A father in Texas, confined to his bed, was saved from deadly floodwaters just in time by his son-in-law, who arrived with a kayak to evacuate him from their flooded home.

Sisto Charles, 77, was unable to escape his house in San Angelo as water rapidly inundated it around 4 a.m. The flood dramatically escalated, with the Guadalupe River surging to dangerous levels nearby, causing the street to resemble a flowing river. The family’s emergency calls went unanswered, compounding their distress.

Rachel Sanchez, the homeowner and caretaker for her father, recounted the terrifying moment: “The water looked like a river. It was rising quickly, reaching thigh-highs, and then flooding into the house.”

As floodwaters threatened to drown him, Sanchez unplugged electrical devices out of fear of electrocution but soon realized evacuation was urgent. Her father’s health condition — dementia and lung disease — and her family’s disabilities made moving him challenging. She repeatedly called 911, but initially, responders were overwhelmed, and calls stopped going through.

Fortunately, Robert, her daughter’s husband, and his friend Gilbert arrived on kayaks, navigating through the flood and rescuing the entire family. Sanchez watched tears stream down her face as they worked to bring her loved ones to safety.

The rescuers managed to carry Charles to a higher ground ambulance roughly six hours after the home was flooded. He was found to be in stable condition and is currently under medical care.

Sanchez reflected, “Without Robert and Gilbert, he would have drowned.” The family is now staying temporarily with relatives while assessing the damage to their property, which has suffered significant loss — a blow made harder by previous tragedies, including a fire that destroyed their home two years ago.