A night of heavy thunderstorms in Yilan sent the Lanyang River surging and trapped a truck driver in the flood, but rescuers got him out unhurt.

• A man in his 60s, on standby in his tractor-trailer for river dredging work, was caught when the water rose suddenly before dawn.
• The rising river swallowed most of the truck near the Huludu Bridge; he tried to drive to the bank but got stuck in the current.
• Seven firefighters could not reach him on foot, so they rigged a rope line across the water and waded out to him.
• They fitted him with a life jacket, helmet and float ring and pulled him to shore just after 5:30 a.m.; he was shaken but refused hospital treatment.
• The truck is still sitting in the river and will only be assessed once the water drops.

Outlook: More sudden downpours could bring further flash flooding in Yilan, and the stranded truck stays put until the river falls.