Rescuers master challenge as floodwaters take toll

Sweating profusely

The weather was oppressively hot and humid, and I was sweating constantly. It felt as though I was in a giant sauna.

Walking against the flow of people, I noticed that those heading in the same direction as myself were mainly members of rescue teams.

Holding my camera, I stood out among the crowds walking in the opposite direction.

The water reached up to the knees. At road intersections and in alleyways, the water flowed rapidly, making it difficult for people to remain on their feet.

At the intersection of Fanyang East Road and Tengfei Road — a major junction in the city — I saw rescue team members in various colored uniforms shuttling between motorboats, bringing those affected by the floods to an embankment made of sandbags.

The embankment, about half a meter high, separated two areas. On one side there was muddy water, and on the other an asphalt road. Those rescued stepped onto the road, clearly relieved to have finally reached safety.

Some motorboats could not reach shallow water near an embankment, stopping about 10 meters away. Rescue teams were quick to assist, wading through knee-high water, pushing and pulling the boats closer to a human wall formed by colleagues on the embankment.

Rescuers in the human wall helped people — some of them carrying children, others their belongings — off the boats, taking them to a safe area.

This T-shaped intersection became a temporary dock, busy and chaotic, but with an overall sense of order prevailing as priority was given to rescuing those affected by the floods.

A tourist boat ferried 12 people recently rescued to the temporary dock before returning to continue the search in deeper waters. I followed the boat as the search progressed.

A skilled helmsman in the stern of the boat said: "We brought the vessel here last night, towing it on a trailer from the Baiyangdian Scenic Area. We've already rescued more than 80 flood victims."

A rescuer in the bows of the vessel used an iron pole to push away debris that occasionally floated toward us. As we continued along Tengfei Road, the water was more than 2 meters deep.

When the vessel approached overhead traffic lights, the man standing in the bows crouched down for the boat to pass through. Large trucks lined both sides of the road, submerged in the water. One, with the words Zhongtong Express on its side, was partially submerged.

The water was murky, with plastic bags and bottles floating on the surface. The sight line was level with the rooftops of shops, and cars parked at the roadside were completely submerged. Speedboats brushed against the car roofs.

On the opposite side, motorboats loaded with flood victims continued to approach. Those on the boats gestured with clenched fists, indicating that our boat should slow down a little to avoid splashing them.

The man in the bows raised a thumb in acknowledgment, while applauding rescue team members in one of the boats opposite us.