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Improvised Drone Rescue Fuels Scrutiny of Manned-Drone Rules as Southern Floods Continue

The neighbour’s jury-rigged operation to save a man stranded on a rooftop has fast-tracked debate on heavy-lift drone regulations

Footage captured by a witness showed the drone soaring 65 feet into the air, with the man hanging beneath it, his legs dangling from the harness.
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Drones evacuate flood-hit victims in China’s worst-hit areas. | Image: X

Overview

  • Mr Lai modified an agricultural drone with a makeshift harness to lift a man from his Liuzhou rooftop after fast-flowing floodwaters prevented speedboats from reaching him.
  • Witness footage shows the drone climbing 65 ft and navigating through trees and power lines before lowering the man safely to a road in under two minutes.
  • Mr Lai acknowledged breaking manned-drone regulations but said he acted to prevent the house from collapsing on the stranded resident.
  • The Ministry of Water Resources reports 13 major rivers across Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou and Hainan remain above warning levels, prompting the relocation of over 80,000 people.
  • Authorities and industry experts are now considering formal approval for heavy-lift drones in emergency response to meet the challenges of intensifying, climate-driven floods.