A pregnant woman was rescued Monday from raging floodwaters in Hengzhou City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, after police deployed a drone and rescue boats to reach her stranded home.
The rescue operation unfolded Monday evening when severe flooding hit several villages in Hengzhou, cutting off roads and submerging homes.
At around 22:00, a man called police officers on flood relief duty in Yunbiao Township, pleading for help. His wife, three months pregnant, was trapped inside their flooded home.
Acting swiftly, the police team deployed a drone to locate the stranded woman, guided by the husband's directions. With the target pinpointed, officers formed a rescue team, donned their gear, and set out immediately.
Battling deep, fast-moving floodwater and other hazards such as fallen trees and floating debris, the rescuers carefully piloted their rescue boats against the current, dodging obstacles as they slowly made their way toward the inundated building.
After a tense operation, the pregnant woman and several other stranded residents were successfully transferred to safe ground. No injuries were reported.
"We were trapped up there for a long time, from around 11:00 in the morning until the afternoon. My husband, assisted by the police, managed to get hold of the drone. Then someone came to our rescue," said the woman surnamed Zhu.
Hengzhou under Nanning, the regional capital of Guangxi, has been among the hardest-hit areas since torrential rains from Typhoon Maysak caused catastrophic flooding over the weekend.
Pregnant woman rescued from flooded home in Guangxi
