With the icy cold weather and power cut causing havoc in Texas, a man who almost lost his life in a car accident helped rescue 145 drivers stranded during winter storm Uri.
Ryan Sivley jumped in to assist hundreds of drivers stranded on the icy roads in Austin using his four-wheel-drive vehicles he was able to rescue 98 cars on Monday and another 47 cars on Tuesday all free of charge.
“Well, put yourself in their shoes,” he said. “If you were sitting on the side of the road with your wife and your kids and you’re freezing in the car, and it’s not running and you don’t have anywhere to go and you don’t have anyone to call, what do you do?”
“I’ve seen wreckers turning people away because they won’t pull them out due to liability,” Sivley continued. “You need to stay in your car and just freeze to death? If I was in that spot, I would beg and hope that somebody would help me. So that’s what I’m doing.”
Sivley did what he did after he shattered his pelvic bone and almost died in a car accident on March 1, “Well, I got hit by a few cars and a Harley,” he explained to the outlet. “I can’t do more than 20 pounds on my left arm and I can’t walk for more than two hours a day. So, I can drive a truck — it’s pretty simple.”
Sivley was moved to do something with his truck after Storm Uri hit Austin, “I’ve been helping anybody I find the side of the road,” he told KVUE. “I do a lot of off-roading with different groups in Austin, so I had recovery straps and chains.” He added, “[All] I’ve been doing is pulling people off the road and giving people safe rides,” he added.
He helped in transporting patients from Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin and St. David’s North Austin Medical Center to their homes and helping stranded nurses get to their destinations. He also drove people around the community to find a safe and warm location with working utilities after millions lost power in the wake of the storm. “Usually, they give me something like five or 10 bucks for gas, but, you know, everybody is really happy,” Sivley explained. “A lot of people really have no electricity or water.”
One of the people he helped, Jill Ventimiglia wrote about how Sivley rescued her from the roads, on Facebook, “Austinites, today was not a fun day. It was so scary but an angel Ryan Sivley saved me and 98 other people from being stranded in the road,” she wrote. “He towed me and my car all the way to my parents’ house!! IF HE WASN’T THERE I WOULD STILL BE STUCK ON THE ROAD.”
Ventimiglia was on her way to her parents’ house which was only a few miles away from her home after she had lost water but became trapped alongside 50 other cars. “Once we got to my parents’ house I gave Ryan money, sandwiches and water,” she explained. “He is a true human being and needs to be compensated for his act of kindness.”
She shared Sivley’s Venmo account, Ventimiglia wrote, “While he isn’t asking for donations, I am begging you to give him at least $50-$100 to help you out. He is truly the kindest soul for doing this for everyone.” Sivley said he is willing to help anyone in need — regardless of the time of day — and that they can reach him at (512) 696-5965.
“This is all I’m doing, just helping out wherever I can,” he told the outlet. “I’m not asking you for anything. If someone helps with a few dollars for gas, that’s great.” What a wonderful way Sivley has reached out to strangers and helped them at this point in time, this is making renewing our hope in humanity.