Drone rescues man trapped on roof as floods swallow streets in Southern China
Viral footage on social media shows the dramatic rescue on Tuesday evening, after a neighbour spotted the man calling for help from the roof of his crumbling two-storey home.
Rescue personnel using speedboats were unable to reach the trapped man due to fast-flowing floodwaters in the streets, The Telegraph reported.
A neighbour, who normally uses drones to haul bricks, cement, or spray pesticides, devised an alternative plan. The drone, reportedly capable of lifting up to 100 kg, was modified for the rescue.
According to local media reports in China, a safety buckle was attached to the drone's lifting rope, along with a sandbag to stabilise the weight.
Footage captured by a witness showed the drone soaring 65 feet into the air, with the man hanging beneath it, his legs dangling from the harness.
The drone navigated through trees and pylons before safely lowering the man onto a road below. The entire rescue operation took less than two minutes. Floods in China
Thirteen major rivers across Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, and Hainan have risen above warning levels over the past few days due to storms, according to reports aired on state television citing the country's Ministry of Water Resources.
Record downpours in Rongjiang, in the southeast of the country, left six dead and forced more than 80,000 people to flee their homes. The rainfall over 72 hours was twice the city's average for June.
China has battled summer floods for millennia, but some scientists say climate change is causing heavier and more frequent rainfall. Chinese officials warn that massive flooding could trigger unforeseen "black swan" events with dire consequences, such as dam collapses.
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