ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines ?Heavy rains and a flash flood forced captors of Vicente Barrios to transfer him from one hiding place to another, but on Saturday morning his abductors thought they lost him to rampaging floods in Barangay Bohe Manggal in Sumisip town in Basilan.

Barrios, 60, and caretaker of an aquamarine company here, was rescued not from his captors but from a swollen river, by a villager.

?They (Barrios and his abductors) had been walking and transferring but were unlucky when they tried to cross the river. He was swept away by the swollen river, lucky for him he was caught up by one of the residents in the area,? Basilan Vice Gov. Al Rasheed Sakalahul told the Inquirer over the phone.

Barrios, a resident of Barangay Santa Maria this city, was kidnapped on June 17. He manages a fishpond in the village of Bolong.

Sakalahul said the victim had been turned over to the military.