You see a person trying to save his father and completely ignoring his wife and kid (son) who are closer to him.
The wife represents the present life, the son the future and the grandfather on the other hand represents the past, which the man clings.
Thus losing his present life and future. A perfect metaphor of what many go through on daily basis.
Scene of the deluge, 1827 by Joseph Désiré (1797-1865) Source: Social Media