Drone flies life vest to villager stranded in raging flood in Thailand

A drone flew a life vest to a villager caught in a raging flash flood in northern Thailand.

Footage shows the flying machine delivering the vest and a safety rope to a farmer named Chai while he was being battered by heavy rain in Phayao province on August 21.

The rescue team then used the rope to pull Chai back toward the riverbank.

Chai said he was walking to a rice field near the village when the flash flood struck. He screamed for help from neighbours within earshot, but they feared they might also be swept away by the water.

Local authorities later arrived with a backhoe, but the currents were too strong for it to cross safely.

They resorted to using the drone instead to ferry the safety gear to Chai.

The Thai Meteorological Department on Wednesday forecasted widespread thunderstorms and heavy rain across northern Thailand, including Phayao province.

Thailand and neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia are in their annual monsoon rainy season which sees soaring temperatures followed by powerful rain storms in the afternoon leading to widespread flash floods.