On March 4, President Luong Cuong signed Decision No. 237/QD-CTN awarding the Medal of Courage to Mr. Ha Ngoc Son (residing in Trung Son village, Bao Ai commune, Lao Cai province) for bravely saving people in a waterway traffic accident on Thac Ba Lake.
Previously, on the evening of February 21, 2026, while in a camp on Thac Ba Lake, Mr. Ha Ngoc Son heard a loud collision in the dark night.
Predicting a serious accident, Mr. Son immediately steered his personal motorboat to the scene about 400m away.
In the conditions of the vast, deep and cold lake surface and limited visibility, Mr. Son promptly approached the area where the ship sank, where many victims were struggling in the water. With river experience and courage, he saved 6 people.
Mr. Son said: "At that time, I didn't have time to think, seeing anyone floating on the water surface, I pulled them onto the boat. I successively brought four people up first. Then turned back to help the man and the child. The small boat gradually tilted because the water flooded in. If I carried more, the boat could capsize at any time.
After bringing everyone ashore, Mr. Son contacted the local authorities to report to the commune police, cordoning off the scene by anchoring so that rescue forces could determine the location.
More than an hour later, people and functional forces approached the area.
Talking about his life, Mr. Son said that he himself is not a fisherman transporting passengers, nor is he a tourism service provider. His family makes a living in the middle of the lake, familiar with the water, familiar with the wind, and familiar with each channel.
Previously, at about 7:15 pm on February 21, at Thac Ba Lake in Bao Ai commune, Lao Cai province, a stone ferry with license plate YB-0919H, carrying stone from Xuan Long to Huong Ly Port, driven by ship driver N.V.T. (born 1984, in Cam Nhan commune, Lao Cai province) collided with a passenger ship with license plate YB-0876H driven by ship driver T.D. N. (born 1995, in Cam Nhan commune, Lao Cai province). At the time of the incident, there were 22 passengers on the ship besides the ship driver.
