On the evening of October 29, at around 10:45 p.m., while walking on Bach Dang Street to observe the flood water level of Han River, Mr. Tran Trong Tuan (1979, residing in Hoa Khanh Ward, Da Nang) suddenly discovered a boy about 9 years old was swept away by the water at the foot of the Dragon Bridge, in front of the Cham Sculpture Museum. The child was in a state of panic and tried to cling to a rotten piece of wood drifting close to the shore.
Immediately, Mr. Tuan called for help and then along with some passersby crossed the riverbank railing and jumped down to approach the child. Thanks to the quick reaction and smooth coordination, the group of people brought the child safely to shore.
When rescued, the child was in a state of panic, drinking water, trembling, unable to speak a word, his whole body was covered in cold rain.
Sharing with Lao Dong, Mr. Tuan said: "At that time, the floodwaters were flowing rapidly and ably, seeing my child in the middle of the river floating, I could only think of how to pull him up so quickly. When I reached her hand, I breathed a sigh of relief, but I still had to try to stay calm so as not to slip. Only after I saved him to shore did I see him trembling.
The livestream video recorded the entire moment and was broadcast live on social media, quickly attracting thousands of views and emotional comments. About 30 minutes later, the boy's grandfather and grandmother arrived at the scene to pick him up and take him to the hospital for a health check. She did not forget to thank the kind "strangers" who wholeheartedly saved her nephew's life.
According to the family, the family lives in An Hai ward, about 3km from the area where the child was in distress. That same evening, the child opened the door to play outside and got lost, the family worriedly searched for more than 2 hours. When they saw the livestream to save people, they immediately followed the location to pick up the child.
At the time of the incident, prolonged heavy rain caused the water level of the Han River to rise, the flow was strong, and the shore was slippery. Many people around proactively stopped their vehicles, lit their phones, and supported the lighting for the rescue team to operate. After being rescued, the child was helped by local people to change his clothes, take care of him warmly and hand him over to his family.
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The incident "heartbroken" many people but also spread the spirit of solidarity and quick reaction of Da Nang people in the flood.
Authorities recommend that parents should especially look after young children, limit children from playing near riverbanks and canals during the rainy season; and proactively report to the authorities when detecting dangerous situations.
