RESCUE ON FAST RISING RIVER AVERTS DISASTER |北港溪水位暴漲 2農民受困沙洲獲救

Large volumes of rainfall were recorded in Yunlin and Chiayi with the extremely torrential rain system. The Beigang River which runs between the two counties was the scene of a dramatic rescue by emergency services. Six agricultural workers decided to move their tools and ended up stranded due to the fast flowing waters. Six Chiayi agricultural workers decided to move tools which they had left on the Beigang River. However, the waters rose before they could finish. Four people managed to jump to safety and two were stranded. Rescue workers managed to get them to safety in a canoe. ==WORKER== We two were driving and the water carried the vehicle away, we couldn't drive and ended up on the sandbank. == CHOU CUO-MING Chief, 2nd brigade Chiayi Fire Dept.== When they wanted to go and retrieve their tools, the water was low, then when they wanted to come back the Beigang River swept them away and flooded them. The agricultural workers said the waters rose quickly and they had no time to do anything and it was lucky that they were rescued in time. The extremely torrential rain flooded many places in Dapi Fengtian Village was especially hard hit as it is near the Dahu river mouth where the river overflowed its banks. The whole village of 300 people was flooded and left without food and relied on lunchboxes delivered by charities. ==VILLAGER Yunlin Dapi Fengtian Village== I can't swim and the water was up to my chest. I'm not tall, I thought that I was going to drown, later my husband carried me on his back. ==VILLAGER Yunlin Dapi Fengtian Village== Luckily I didn't go to work in the morning. If I had gone to work, it would be worrying. Every house was flooded. The roadways in the village were inundated and emergency services first evacuated elderly people living alone, then those with chronic illnesses. The other residents waited for the waters to recede so they could clean up their homes. Seeing the flooding after localised rain, the residents want the government to improve things. The county government said its immediate priority was to prevent disaster and they would look at the problem of inadequate drainage when they reviewed the recent situation. TRANSLATED BY：CLARE LEAR 強大豪雨，在中部的雲林、嘉義，都降下驚人雨量！而2個縣市的交界、北港溪，上午，有6位農民，想到沙洲上、搶收農具，結果卻因為「溪水暴漲」，其中2人，被困在沙洲，幸好消防隊，緊急出動救援。 消防隊員駕駛救生艇，將困在沙洲的2名農夫帶回岸邊，但水流湍急，救生艇想靠岸，還得好幾人幫忙拉船。這條位在嘉義、雲林交界的北港溪，因降雨不斷，3號上午溪水暴漲，6名來到嘉義端沙洲要搶救農具、抽水馬達的農民險些被沖走，其中4人機警跳上堤岸，另外2人則困在沙洲。 ==受困農民== 我們兩個開車 就剛好被水困住 車子不能開了 剛好旁邊有個沙洲 就爬上去沙洲上 ==嘉義縣消防局二大隊副大隊長 周諸明== 他們要下去收農具的時候 （是)還沒有水的狀況 然後他們再回頭的時候 北港溪就已經暴漲到他們 快要淹沒他們了 農民說，水來得又快又猛，根本反應不及，幸好及時獲救，有驚無險！而大雨也讓雲林縣大埤鄉多處積水，尤其是豐田村，因為鄰近的大湖口溪暴漲潰堤，水往村莊灌，全村積水一度深達成人胸口，村內300多人受困，連飯都沒得吃，還得靠慈善團體的便當果腹。 ==雲林大埤豐田村民== 我不會游泳 那個水深我如果下去 我人矮會來到這邊 我說我這樣喔 可能會被淹死 後來我先生來背我 ==雲林大埤豐田村民== 還好早上都還沒上班 如果說有上班就煩惱了 每間房子都進水呀 豐田村整個村落浸在水中，馬路、水路分不清，消防隊第一時間撤離獨居長者以及急病患者，其他人等著水退去，要趕快整理家園。只是當地逢雨必淹，居民要政府趕緊改善，縣府也表示，目前先以救災為主，至於有無排水不良問題，災後會全面檢討。 記者 王柔婷 陳顯坤 王威雄 嘉義 雲林報導