Chinese fan of boy band Seventeen rescued during severe floods thanks to extremely bright K-pop light stick

Chasing pop idols is never a cheap hobby. You've albums to buy, concerts to go to, and all the different idol paraphernalia from T-shirts to plushies.

But who knew the K-pop light stick would turn out to be, literally, a life-saver?

According to media reports, a Chinese fan of K-pop boy band Seventeen was rescued from the recent devastating floods in Henan, China, after using the official Seventeen light stick called Carat Bong.

The must-have concert item, shaped like a microphone and using three AAA batteries, has a white handle and a pink gem placed inside a transparent dome.

The Seventeen fan wrote on Weibo: "The disaster is over and everyone is safe. I want to tell S.Coups the light stick is really extremely bright. [The rescuers] found me immediately."

S.Coups is a member of Seventeen who previously requested for the new Carat Bong to be made even brighter than its previous one, to help light the way for fans returning home late from events and concerts.

Another Chinese fan also wrote on Weibo: "My mobile phone was almost out of battery because of the power and water cuts. I used my Carat Bong as a torchlight for the entire night. It's really very bright!"

kwokkarpeng@asiaone.com