Maha Christopher
A potential tragedy was averted in Okpanam, Delta State, after residents rescued a man who was being swept away by floodwaters following a heavy downpour.
According to The Punch, viral videos circulating online on Saturday captured the dramatic rescue operation after the unidentified man became trapped in a drainage channel during the rainfall.
The footage showed a group of residents battling the rushing floodwaters as they worked together to pull the victim from a ditch where he had become submerged.
Witnesses at the scene could be heard shouting instructions to the rescuers and praying for the man’s safety as the operation unfolded.
“God save him! God have mercy! What is holding him inside the water?” a distressed woman was heard saying in the video.
Another eyewitness described how close the victim came to drowning.
“From that side, I was seeing only his head. The water was carrying him away,” the witness said.
A follow up video later showed the man after he had been successfully pulled from the drainage system. He appeared exhausted as he sat by the roadside while residents checked on his condition.
One resident described the rescue as nothing short of a miracle, citing the speed and depth of the floodwaters.
“God is merciful, it’s a miracle. The water carried him from the extreme end of the road till he got here,” the woman said.
The incident has once again highlighted the dangers posed by flooding during heavy rainfall and the risks faced by residents in areas with open drainage channels.
