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Two Dead, One Missing as Dongguan Teens Swept Away by Floodwaters

Posted: 05/14/2014 10:28 am

tangxia youth drowning dongguan rain disasterThe flood-stricken area of Tangxia County, Dongguan is the fatal scene where three youths were swept away in a flooded creek swollen with rainwater, leaving two dead and one missing, reports Nandu.

At approximately 5pm on May 11, eight young adults were crossing a flooded creek together by linking arms near the City Ring Road West at Keyuan Station when three of them were suddenly swept away by the strong current.

Lao Huagui, one of the people that attempted to cross the creek, recalls the incident:

“The water reached up to my waist,” said Lao, who stands at 1.7 meters tall. “We were all walking in the middle of the street, when all of a sudden a great current rushed in from the right side, and the water surged up. With that, the floodwater submerged the shortest one of us, He Sihan. The eight of us then became scattered.”

READ: Dongguan Flood Disaster to Cost Local Economy
RMB 55 Million [PICTORIAL]

Lao Hanzhou gives a different account:

At that time, the creek [was so high it] submerged both ends of the railings of the bridge. Seeing that He Sihan was caught up by the current, Liu Dejin and Cai Jiahong both hurried to grab He out of the water, but they weren’t able to catch him. Both of them were also washed away by the current.

The other five remaining people were able to extract themselves from the flooded creek by managing to hold onto trees at the side, or by climbing the surrounding walls of the embankment.

By noon of May 12, the floodwater had subsided. At that time, two bodies were found.

Dead are Liu Dejin and Cai Jiahong. The third victim swept away by the flooded creek, He Sihan, has still not been found.

The victims were well acquainted with one another. He and Cai were cousins, while Liu and Cai were classmates.

Related:

Photos: Nandu

Haohao

Guangzhou makes swimming lessons mandatory

Posted: 11/23/2013 7:00 am

A program that will introduce compulsory swimming lessons at 150 primary and middle schools in Guangzhou was put into action this week, as part of an initiative by the Municipal Board of Education. The formal testing of students’ swimming ability may or may not begin next year, but the board does intend to introduce testing eventually, according to deputy director Wu Qiang.

Although gym teachers will initially be responsible for the lessons, other teachers will be given training on how to teach the basics, New Express reported Wednesday (Nov. 20).

Schools that don’t have their own swimming pools will have their lessons at public swimming baths.

This policy is being implemented after it was reported in July that drowning has become the most common cause of death among 5-14 year olds in Guangdong.

Drowning accounts for over 96% of fatal accidents among that age group in the province’s rural areas, and 70% in urban areas.

Being a coastal region doesn’t necessarily make the population any more likely to be good swimmers. It was reported last year that only 20% of Hong Kongers can swim as opportunities to learn with a professional teacher are thin on the ground.

Haohao
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