A WARRINGTON man who became separated from his family in the wake of Hurricane Rita has managed to make contact with his wife.

Last week The Warrington Guardian told how dad-of-two Julian Richard Stoll had become stranded in Lake Charles, when the storm hit.

He had remained on the oil refinery he manages on the Gulf coast making sure his employees were safe while his wife, June, headed away from the storm to Illinois with the couple's two children.

She had heard nothing from him since receiving

an e-mail last Saturday, leaving the family, including Julian's parents Brian and Joan, of Wilderspool Causeway, anxious about his whereabouts.

But Julian has since

contacted his wife to let her know he is safe and back at the refinery surveying the damage.

Unfortunately, the couple's home has been devastated and Lake Charles remains without food, water or power.

Julian's mum, Joan, said: "We are so pleased that Julian and the family are okay but their homes have been totally destroyed.

"We were planning to spend Christmas with them but we've had to cancel our flights because there's nowhere to stay. We probably won't get to see them until spring next year."