Five rescued from China flood

Stranded by flash floods, these five men in the Chinese province of Sichuan await rescue.

The workers had been trying to cross a channel near the city of Leshan, according to state media.

(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) EYE WITNESS, ZHANG FENG, SAYING:

"They drove down there at 8 o'clock this morning on their way to work, and then the water came and it was too late.''

Several attempts to reach the men with a rope fail.

But a fishing rod does the trick.

A firefighter crosses to the men who pull themselves across the raging torrent.

This man has a close call but all five make it safely to the river bank.

Summer flooding is common in southern China, sometimes killing hundreds of mostly rural residents.