Travis Creighton, 19, who died in the recent flash flood in West Virginia, is remembered by family as a loving, bright individual
Travis helped his mother swim to safety after they’d been swept into a nearby creek
“He was the kind of soul that lit up a room just by being in it — and he was loved by everyone who knew him,” his sister Shelby wrote in a tribute
A young man who died in the West Virginia floods is being remembered for his warmth and kindness.
Travis Creighton, 19, was one of eight people who have been confirmed to have died in the recent flash flood on Saturday, June 14 that caused severe damage to towns in northern West Virginia. As the state braces for possible future floods, Travis’ family is honoring him as a steadfast brother and loving son.
The 19-year-old had recently gotten a job at the same place as his father, Brian, and their shared rides to work became a cherished father-son moment, local outlet WTRF reported.
“We held hands all the way to work and just told each other to have a good day, and ‘I’ll see you later,’ ” Brian recalled, and he began to tear up. “I’m not going to have that anymore. It’s gone.”
A lifelong Boy Scout, Travis had just finished his high school equivalent and earned his Eagle Scout Badge, per WV Metro News.
Shelby, Travis’ sister, said her younger brother was “funny, full of life and had a very big heart,” she told ABC News. His understanding nature was one of his greatest virtues, she added.
“He was gone too soon,” she said. “I’m the older sibling. They were supposed to bury me first, not the other way around.”
Travis and his family were at home watching a movie when a relative called to let them know the nearby creek was rising quickly, per WTRF. Travis’ father, Brian, and others in the household went to move their vehicles to higher ground, but when Brian tried to call his wife Donna — Travis’ mother — it went straight to voicemail, and he knew something was wrong.
Their family home had collapsed after the foundation cracked, Brian later discovered, with Donna, Travis and their three dogs inside.
“They actually ended up in the creek, holding onto each other. They got separated and got reconnected, and when they last separated, Travis said, ‘Swim, Mommy! Swim!’ ” Brian recalled his wife telling him later on at the hospital.
“She’s banged up and bruised, but she didn’t break anything,” Brian continued. “Like I said, I really believe in miracles. And that was our Travis helping her.”
In a GoFundMe page to benefit Travis’s parents’ efforts towards rebuilding and giving their son a proper burial, Shelby wrote that their family “lost everything that day,” but they’re “holding onto each other” through their grief.
“Travis was only 19, but his heart was bigger than most people twice his age,” Shelby wrote. “He would’ve given the shirt off his back to a stranger without hesitation. He was the kind of soul that lit up a room just by being in it — and he was loved by everyone who knew him.”
