In the middle of the Gianh River (Quang Tri province) filled with cold winds, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Ha sat blankly on the boat searching, her hands clenched tightly against the wooden ledge as if trying to keep herself from collapsing.
In just 1 day, she lost her child, her mother-in-law passed away forever, and her father-in-law's body was just found. Pain piled up, but the young mother still did not allow herself to collapse. Her eyes followed each water vortex, where the search team was searching every meter of the river to find her missing child.
When the boat glided on the river, Ms. Ha's voice trembled in the vast space: "Cún, come back to mother... Grandpa is back, it's just me. Come back to mother or it's cold, my dear...". Her call broke out in the wind, melting into the rippling water. Each call seemed to tear the hearts of witnesses. Sometimes she choked up, unable to speak, only sobbing, trying to hold back.
The people on the rescue boat were silent. No one dared to say anything, just quietly continued their work. Amidst the vast rivers and waters, that hopeless call for children seemed to hold onto a faint hope that the child could hear, could return.
For Ms. Ha, even though she knows the truth may be very harsh, as long as she searches, there is hope. And that mother still persistently calls her child in the cold river, with all her love and pain.
At nearly 12 pm on February 19, Mr. Cao Huu Tinh (48 years old, Truong Long village, Tan Giang commune) and his 2 sons were driving a ferry across the Gianh River to visit relatives when they discovered someone on the other side of the river raising their hand for help. Suspecting someone had an accident, he immediately accelerated and drove the boat about 1 km to the scene.
Without hesitation, Mr. Tinh's 2 sons jumped into the cold water, successively rescuing 3 survivors and bringing a child in critical condition ashore. Although taken to the emergency room, the child did not survive. The officers also brought a deceased woman ashore, and at the same time reported to functional forces to support the search for the remaining victims.
In the middle of the wide river, the efforts to save people in the moment of life and death and the mother's heartbreaking call for children are heartbreaking, leaving an unforgettable obsession in the hearts of people in the riverine countryside.
As Lao Dong Newspaper reported, at about 11:30 am on February 19, Mr. N.V.T's family of 7 people traveling by small boat on the Gianh River encountered an accident.
People brought 5 people ashore, of which 2 did not survive. After Mr. T was found, to date, 1 granddaughter is still missing. Functional forces continue to urgently deploy search plans on the Gianh River.
