From the story of " redeaming" the body of a family on the river
As Lao Dong reported, Ms. H.T.H's family in Van Xuan commune, Phu Tho province had to spend 50 million VND to pay the fishing boat workers in the Vinh Thinh bridge area to be able to bring Ms. H's body on the Red River home for burial, while the family of the victim was still facing many difficulties.
On the afternoon of August 18, speaking with a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Nham Quang Van - Captain of the search and rescue team 116 shared missing corners and unexpected stories during the search and rescue team on the river.
Mr. Van shared: "The family called our rescue team for help in this incident, however, because the team had not committed suicide since September 2022, we instructed the family on how to search. Unexpectedly, someone saw the body and asked the family for 60 million VND before taking the body back. So in this case alone, if the truth is what the family said, our rescue team will stick to the end to clarify the matter, and get justice for Ms. H's family.
People may find this strange, but for rescue teams, it is common. There were cases where they dived down to see and hide the body below and then went up to make a price, or discovered the river floating and paid back and asked the family to bid them 10 - 20 million VND (there was a case that the rescue team recorded livestreaming). When the rescue team found it, they rushed out to rob it and said they would find it and force the family to pay."
According to the Captain of Rescue Team 116, many rescue teams have to "collise" on the river so that the victim's family does not lose more unjust money. That is also part of the reason why the rescue team often filmed videos and livestreamed while searching for victims.
Mother-in-law sadly tells the story of 50 million VND to " redeem" the body of a daughter-in-law
Regarding the incident of Ms. H's family, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lien (62 years old, living in Zone 20, Van Xuan Commune) - Ms. H's mother-in-law said that at around 1:30 a.m. on August 13, Ms. H left her house towards Phong Chau pontoon bridge and went missing. After that, the family searched for them but to no avail.
At 2:00 p.m. the same day, the family received a report that some fishermen on the Red River in the Vinh Thinh bridge area had discovered and recovered the body of a woman on the river, so they went to the location to check.
When they arrived, the family had not yet received the body but was asked to rent a boat (for 5 million VND) to search but could not find it. By dawn on August 14, the family was informed by the fishing boats that Ms. H's body had been found and asked to pay 60 million VND to take her body home.
"At 4am that day, after discussing and negotiating the amount of 50 million VND, my family was allowed to bring my daughter-in-law's body back to our hometown" - Ms. Lien choked up as she said.
Ms. Lien continued that Mr. Nguyen Van Linh - Ms. Lien's son and Ms. H's husband passed away in 2021, leaving her alone to raise her two young daughters, N.N.A. (9 years old) and N.P.T. (7 years old). Recently, Ms. H showed signs of depression.
After Ms. H passed away, Ms. Lien moved in with her two grandchildren to conveniently raise and care for them.
