A video of a man who was rescued from a flooded corn field in Baoding city in Hebei has touched many netizens. - SCREENGRAB FROM JINRI TOUTIAO
BEIJING (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): In the wake of extreme floods caused by Typhoon Doksuri in China, relief efforts by both everyday citizens and official rescue teams alike have warmed thousands of hearts online.
One post on Chinese social media site, Jinri Toutiao, captured the moving sight of a relief team in Baoding city in northern Hebei province rescuing a man who had been stranded in a flooded corn field for several days.
In the 43-second video posted on Sunday, the man is seen wiping away tears while seated on a makeshift float as the rescue team moves towards him, saying: “Don’t be anxious. It’s okay, don’t cry.”
After successfully extricating the man onto the rescue boat and giving him a drink, the team continues comforting him as he cries.
Many netizens commented about how touching the scene was, with many saying they too teared up watching the interaction.
In another instance, a man was trapped in his car when floodwaters in Handan city, also in Hebei, began rising rapidly.
A video on microblogging site Weibo shows the severely damaged car being repeatedly overturned by the water’s strong currents as the man attempts to escape out of the vehicle.
A firefighter on a harness attached to a crane eventually swoops in from above just in time to extricate the man from the waters. Netizens said it looked like the firefighter “dropped from the sky” and applauded him for his bravery.
Over at Bijie city, in south-western Guizhou province, 15 people were trapped on one side of a river when water levels suddenly rose because of the heavy rainfall.
Undeterred, the rescuers dove straight into the rapids and anchored their own ropes on both sides of the river, which acted as a bridge to help the stranded individuals cross back to safety.
Even ordinary citizens are joining in the rescue efforts, being praised online as “ordinary heroes” for risking their safety to help others.
One man was spotted in Beijing using the front-loader of his tractor to rescue a family of three and their dog. They were stranded on a ledge above the rising waters.
Zhou Songlin, a villager from Sizhuo village in Zhuozhou city, Hebei province, had refused to leave behind his sheep farm for almost a week despite the heavy rain and floods.
Along with his family and co-workers, the group initially stayed put to take care of the sheep. Unfortunately, the flood eventually swept away and drowned most of the sheep on Tuesday morning.
Instead of giving up and fleeing the village, they turned their efforts towards their fellow villagers, helping those in need to evacuate safely.
With the waters now receding, Zhou and his family will continue to stay behind to bury the dead sheep responsibly. While this has proven to be a difficult task due to the recent weather conditions, they are determined to do so to prevent potential epidemics and disease outbreaks.
