48 hours of miraculous survival at sea: Saw the ship 5 times, tried to swim back to call for help

During the 48 hours drifting at sea, Mr. Le Van Sanh (37 years old, resident of Ly Son special zone, Quang Ngai) saw the ship at least 5 times and tried to swim closer to call for help but failed. The three survivors were truly miraculous.

Mr. Le Van Sanh's return made his wife Ha extremely happy - Photo: LE TRUNG

On November 10, "heroes" Phan Duy Quang and Le Van Sanh received certificates of merit from the People's Committee of Ly Son Special Zone, Quang Ngai for braving the storm and rushing out to sea to save people. The two survivors returned home happily, appreciating the kindness everyone had shown them.

Miraculously survived, many times saw ships swimming to ask for help

Mr. Sanh recalled the times he saw the ship and tried to swim to call for help but failed. 48 hours drifting at sea with only a life jacket, no food, and there was a time when Mr. Sanh did not even have a life jacket and still survived, it was truly a miracle.

Mr. Sanh said that at 3:00 p.m. on November 6, he saw Mr. Duong Quang Cuong go to the pier on Ly Son Island and jump into the sea. The waves were very strong at that time, but even though they knew their lives were near, Mr. Sanh and Mr. Quang still braved it and rowed a boat out to sea to save people.

"I didn't think much, I just knew to do everything I could to save Cuong. Life and death were close, so if I could save him, I would," he recalled.

The raging sea was so terrible that it kept pushing the boat further and further away. Then storm number 13 officially landed. Mr. Cuong and Mr. Quang were exhausted and wanted to "let go", but Mr. Sanh looked towards the island and still saw the mountains and lights, and encouraged him, "Keep up the good work, your wife and children are waiting for you at home."

At 8:00 p.m. on November 6, the waves sank the boat. Mr. Sanh still "anchored" the faith, supporting Mr. Quang and Mr. Cuong, saying, "Try to stick together, get through the stormy night, tomorrow when the sky is calm, a ship will come to rescue."

Three people with three life jackets clung to each other to keep warm and drifted with the ocean currents. But then Mr. Cuong gradually weakened and was separated from the group by the waves. "There was moonlight at that time, I looked in Cuong's direction and shouted encouragement, but he didn't respond. I thought he was done for," said Mr. Sanh.

Then Mr. Quang was exhausted and said to Mr. Sanh: "I'm so tired, I think I'll let go. If you still have strength, keep swimming." Despite Mr. Sanh's encouragement, the sea still gradually separated the two people. But vaguely on the sea, they could still see each other, but they didn't have enough strength to call out to encourage each other.

Alone at sea, Mr. Sanh, with his skills following the ocean currents, every time he saw a ship, he tried his best to swim to call for help.

"There were times when I swam close to the ship and tried to shout, but the ship kept coming closer and didn't stop to save me. They probably didn't see me," said Mr. Sanh.

When he was rescued, Mr. Sanh did not have a life jacket on him and his mental state was not stable - Photo: AN VINH

When his mind was no longer stable, Sanh was saved.

Hero Le Van Sanh counted at least 5 times he saw the ship very close to him. There was even a time when he swam to "block the front", took off his life jacket to signal for help but failed. From that moment on, Sanh tried to put his life jacket back on but failed and started swimming on foot.

At 4 p.m. on November 8, exactly 48 hours after Mr. Sanh and Mr. Quang jumped into the sea to save Mr. Cuong, hero Le Van Sanh was rescued. That moment was recorded by searchers, Mr. Sanh with a panicked face, swimming towards the An Vinh Express ship.

"When the An Vinh Express came to rescue me, I was thinking to myself, 'I was swimming in the sea, why did the ship hit me?' It was like my mind was not stable anymore, I forgot that I had drifted through the storm," said Mr. Sanh.

Mr. Quang said that if it weren't for Mr. Sanh's words of encouragement, he would have given up after the boat sank a few hours later.

Mr. Quang did not expect that after 48 hours of drifting, storms and big waves had pushed him to drift to the Gia Lai sea, more than 100km from Ly Son. At 9am on November 8, Mr. Quang was discovered and rescued by the Hai Nam 39 ship. At that time, Mr. Quang entrusted his life to his life jacket and the ocean currents.

"I didn't have enough strength to swim. I saw the ship nearby but couldn't call out or say anything to swim towards it. But the ocean loves me, so I was the first to be saved," said Mr. Quang.

At 6 p.m. on November 8, a fishing boat from Quang Binh discovered and rescued the last person, Mr. Cuong, who had ended his journey drifting through the stormy sea and miraculously survived.

Ly Son people set off fireworks and cheered loudly to celebrate the festival. Even those who have lived their lives at sea never thought that three people could survive 48 hours at sea, in stormy weather and extremely high waves.

TRAN MAI - LE TRUNG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/48-gio-song-sot-than-ky-tren-bien-5-lan-thay-tau-co-boi-lai-cau-cuu-20251110105012839.htm