I wiped away the rain water stains on my face as I made my way toward the airplane. My shirt was drenched by the icy lake water, and occasionally I could hear thunder rumbling at the distance.

The airplane was floating above the water—more specifically a shallow patch of land in the lake—and I could see some people standing around the airplane. They all looked pretty panicky and worried.

My brain turned blank, and my nose crinkled with indescribable emotions. Throwing all caution to the wind, I moved in a straight line toward the plane.

……

The heavy rain still wasn’t stopping, and the lakewater had climbed all the way to my neck. Unfortunately, I was still dozens of meters away from the airplane, so I had no choice but to swim toward it.

Lightning kept flashing across the sky. The weather was so bad that I could hear people breaking into tears around the airplane.

The heavy rain was blocking my vision, but when I got close I heard a woman shouting, “Look, there’s someone there!”

I looked up. There were water plants hanging on top of my head, and I almost couldn’t open my eyes because of the rain water sliding down my face.

It was at this moment I heard an...