Story By: John Feng, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

Video Credit: AsiaWire

This is the moment a boat carrying more than 30 rowers capsizes in a fast-moving river when the craft crashes into a bridge pier.

The team of rowers inside a traditional Chinese wooden ‘dragon boat’ were practising for an upcoming competition when the accident happened in the county of Zhenyuan in south-western China’s Guizhou Province.

Footage taken from the banks of the river Wuyang show the boat approaching the bridge and over two dozen rowers paddling at speed with their heads down.

Pictures Credit: AsiaWire

As they approach the bridge, the currents push the lengthy watercraft into the stone pier, causing the rowers to stop.

The helmsman is unable to steer the dragon boat through the gap, and the wooden vessel is quickly flooded with water.

The dragon boat carrying over 30 people – including their instructor and drummer – capsizes into Wuyang River at 2:20pm local time on 13th June, the video shows.

The dozens of rowers are then carried downstream in the murky river.

Authorities said all but one of the rowers managed to climb safely back to land, with one of the competitors reportedly saved by his wife using a bamboo pole. 

The missing male victim was unaccounted for until a search party found his body some six hours later at 8:30pm.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to reports, the group were practising for the province’s upcoming cultural sports festival on 15th and 16th June.

They are to compete in the 36th annual dragon boat contest.