Man trapped on roof rescued by drone as floods engulf streets in Southern China

In southern China’s Guangxi region, a young man was rescued from the roof of his house by a clever use of a drone as rising floodwaters surrounded the area.

The man was spotted by a neighbor on Tuesday evening, stranded and calling for help on top of his two-storey home, which was starting to fall apart. Rescue teams tried to reach him by speedboat, but the floodwaters were moving too fast.

Luckily, a neighbor who usually flies drones to carry bricks or spray pesticides came up with an idea. Using a drone that can lift up to 100 kilograms, they rigged it with a safety harness and added a sandbag to keep it balanced.

A witness captured the amazing moment when the drone lifted the man about 65 feet into the air, with his legs hanging freely below, flying carefully through trees and power lines before gently setting him down on a safe road. The whole rescue took less than two minutes.

This happened amid heavy flooding in parts of southern China, where thirteen rivers in Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, and Hainan have surged above warning levels because of recent storms. In Rongjiang, record-breaking rainfall in just three days forced over 80,000 people to leave their homes and sadly claimed six lives.

Floods have long been a challenge in China, but experts say climate change is causing heavier and more frequent storms. Officials warn that severe flooding could cause unexpected disasters, like dam collapses, with serious consequences.

Next Story