A ladder becomes a lifeline for Hualien flood victims

Taipei, Oct. 2 (CNA) Near the intersection of Zhongzheng and Linsen roads in Hualien County's Guangfu Township sits a single-story house, surrounded by longan trees and other greenery.

Its owner is a retired man surnamed Wang (王) in his 70s, who moved to eastern Taiwan from Taipei more than a decade ago and picked the trees' fruit in his spare time.

On Sept. 22, Wang finished his last round of fruit picking and headed to nearby Fengbin Township, never imagining that the ladder he left behind would soon become a lifesaving tool.

On the afternoon of Sept. 23, a sudden flood from the local Matai'an Creek turned the neighborhood into a watery maze. He returned the next day and was surprised when a couple visited him on Sept. 26 while he was cleaning his house.

"Your ladder has saved us," said the woman, also surnamed Wang, who runs a fruit stand on the first section of Zhongzheng Road. "I have no idea where the flood would have taken us without it."

It was then that Wang realized he had forgotten to put away his wooden ladder after picking longans. According to the woman, Wang's forgetfulness ultimately saved more than 20 people -- and two cats.

Recalling the events of Sept. 23, the woman said she and her husband had returned to their stand to feed two stray kittens when the rain eased briefly.

As they considered moving the kittens to a nearby orchard, police alarms rang, urging people to seek higher ground.

Though they could have driven less than a kilometer to safety, traffic was so congested that it took them 10 minutes to cover just 200 meters, with floodwaters rising from toe-high to above the car's bumper.

"A young man at the front of the line abandoned his car and climbed up using [Mr. Wang's] ladder, calling for us to follow," she said.

Attempting to wade through the thigh-deep water, the couple held the kittens above their heads while avoiding floating debris and scooters. When the ladder seemed out of reach, they climbed a tree instead.

They found another young couple stuck in the same muddy mire, but all were rescued by the young man, who laid wooden planks from Wang's roof across a wall to create a makeshift bridge.

The woman said the young man laid down additional wooden ladders around the house, saving roughly 20 people, including two elementary-aged children. The group, strangers to one another, huddled under a canvas sheet for shelter from the rain for about three hours until past 8 p.m.

Though they had initially planned to give the kittens away for adoption, the couple decided to keep them after the shared ordeal.

Despite receiving thanks from those rescued, Wang humbly noted there would have been no ladder if he had not been picking longans. "It was the longan tree that saved them," he said.