Rainstorm turns Fanling villager’s birthday trip home into 50-meter swim

A Fanling villager had an unforgettable end to his birthday after heavy rain left parts of North District flooded, forcing him to wade — and at times “swim” — about 50 meters through chest-deep water to get home.

The Observatory issued amber and red rainstorm warning signals on Wednesday night and early Thursday, along with a special announcement on flooding in the northern New Territories and a localised heavy rain alert, warning of intense downpours in the North District.

The man, who lives in a village house in Fanling, shared his experience on Threads, saying the final program on his birthday was “unforgettable for life.”

He said he had finished dinner and was heading home by public transport instead of driving. After arriving at the railway station, heavy rain began pouring down. Sensing something was wrong, he skipped his usual minibus route and took a bus instead.

But when he reached the area near Baptist Assembly in Ping Che, several vehicles had already broken down in floodwater, including two private cars and a minibus. Firefighters were called to tow them away, delaying his journey by about 35 minutes.

The man said he thought he would be safe once he reached the entrance of his village, only to discover deeper flooding ahead.

“It was raining very heavily at that time, and when we reached the middle section, we found it was flooded inside — the water was up to the chest,” he wrote.

He said three men, including himself, and a young woman waited for the rain to ease, while many vehicles queued nearby. But as the rain showed no sign of stopping, he decided to take the lead.

“I made up my mind and led the way, swimming for about 50 meters, and finally got home,” he said.

The young woman did not follow them through the floodwater and instead took a car to another location, he added.

The post quickly drew attention online, with many netizens saying the man was lucky not to have driven that night, while others described the experience as a birthday memory he would never forget.
 

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓