A potential tragedy was averted in Okpanam, Delta State, after residents and passersby rescued a man who was swept away by raging floodwaters during a heavy rainfall on Friday.
Videos of the dramatic rescue surfaced on social media on Saturday, showing the frantic efforts of several men who battled the flood to save the unidentified victim.
In one of the clips shared on X by user ChuksEricE, about five men were seen struggling under the downpour to pull the man from a deep drainage channel where he had become trapped after being carried away by the fast-moving water.
The footage captured tense moments as residents gathered around the scene, shouting instructions to the rescuers and offering prayers for the victim’s survival.
“God save him! God have mercy! What is holding him inside the water?” a distressed woman was heard crying out.
Another eyewitness narrated how narrowly the man escaped death, saying he could barely be seen as the flood swept him along.
“From that side, I was seeing only his head. The water was carrying him away,” the witness said.
A subsequent video showed the victim after he was successfully rescued from the drainage system. The visibly exhausted man was seen seated by the roadside while concerned residents and his rescuers checked on his condition.
Reacting to the incident, one resident described the man’s survival as miraculous, noting the strength of the floodwaters and the distance he had been carried.
“God is merciful; it’s a miracle. The water carried him from the end of the road till he got here,” the woman said.
The incident has renewed concerns over flooding and drainage safety in parts of Delta State, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.