A man in southern China swam for three hours through floodwaters, holding onto a car tire, to reach his elderly parents after their village was cut off by rising water.
The 38 year old man, identified only by his surname Chen, made the journey in Qingyuan, a city in Guangdong province. Typhoon Gaemi had dumped heavy rain on the region, flooding low lying areas and isolating several villages.
A tire became his only way home
Chen was staying in a town about 10 kilometers from his parents' village when the floodwaters rose. Roads became impassable. Public transport stopped. He could not find a boat. So he grabbed a car tire, tied a bag with some belongings to it, and entered the water.
He swam for three hours, navigating currents and debris, until he reached the village. Local media reported that he found his parents safe, though the village was badly flooded. Many homes had water up to the second floor.
Why the village mattered to him
Chen grew up in that village. His parents, both in their 70s, live there alone. When the typhoon hit, phone service was patchy. He could not reach them by call or message. He decided he had to go in person, no matter the risk.
Neighbors in the village later said they were surprised to see him arrive by tire. They had not expected anyone to make it through the flood. Chen said he was just relieved to see his parents were unharmed.
A quiet act of devotion in a disaster zone
The flooding in Guangdong affected hundreds of thousands of people. Typhoon Gaemi caused widespread damage across southern China before moving inland. In Qingyuan alone, authorities reported multiple villages cut off by water.
Chen's swim did not make headlines at first. A local news outlet picked up the story after a relative posted about it on social media. The post showed a photo of Chen standing in muddy water, still holding the tire, with his parents behind him.
For many readers, the image captured something simple: a man who would not let a flood stop him from checking on his family. No rescue team. No special gear. Just a tire and three hours of determination.
