Dak Lak: Heroes in the 'sea' of water

Two men in Son Hoa commune, Dak Lak province, did not fear danger, using a small boat to row hundreds of people across the raging floodwaters to safety.

Shivering from saving people at night

These days, when the floodwaters have receded, the family of Dinh Xuan Son (born in 1983) and the villagers of Ngan Dien village, Son Hoa commune, Dak Lak province are busy cleaning and sanitizing their house. In the small yard still smelling of mud, with a half-burned cigarette on his lips, Mr. Son silently recalls the life-and-death moments of the recent flood - where, in the midst of the raging water, a man in the village became a "hero" saving hundreds of lives.

Mr. Dinh Xuan Son shares the story of saving people of Mr. Ho Chi Lien and Mr. Do Ngoc Tang with reporter of Cong Thuong Newspaper.

That was Mr. Ho Chi Lien (born in 1980), along with Mr. Do Ngoc Tang (born in 1982) and many other people, regardless of the danger, rushed into the water. Mr. Son said that on the evening of November 19, water from upstream suddenly poured in, then rose very quickly. In just a moment, the road leading to the village was submerged, all vehicles were completely paralyzed.

"At around 6 p.m., we saw Mr. Lien rowing a small boat into the village. He went from house to house, taking people one by one to higher ground. In my house alone, Mr. Lien took nearly 20 people and then took them to the second floor for temporary shelter. The whole village escaped the disaster thanks to Mr. Lien. Without him, someone would have died," Mr. Son said emotionally.

In the middle of the night, when the villagers were brought to Mr. Son’s house, everyone saw Mr. Lien’s cold hands and feet, his mouth trembling with exhaustion. But he only had time to gasp for a few seconds before turning back into the water to continue bringing the villagers out.

Mrs. Thai Thi Tu tells the story of being saved in flood waters

The next day, the water continued to rise, the current became stronger and stronger. Many households in Ngan Dien village were still trapped deep inside. Luckily, a man from another hamlet rowed a larger boat, working with Mr. Lien to transport people continuously from morning until afternoon. "Later, I asked, I found out that this man was Mr. Do Ngoc Tang from the upper hamlet near my house. Both of them rowed the boat non-stop, bringing all the people from the low-lying area to a safe area before stopping. Without them, the consequences would have been unpredictable ," said Mr. Son.

One of the people rescued that night was Mrs. Thai Thi Tu (born in 1957). She said that the water had risen nearly 2 meters in her house, all the furniture was brought to the second floor or the tiled roof. In the house, everyone was starving, cold and desperate. "When the water kept rising, I thought I would have to die here. When the sky just got light, I heard someone shouting outside the door: 'Get ready, I will take you to higher ground! Priority for the elderly, children, and women first!'. When I got on the boat, I realized it was Mr. Lien" , Mrs. Tu choked.

Mr. Ho Chi Lien was happy to save many people in the flood.

Recounting his story, Ho Chi Lien still trembles when recalling that moment: "Seeing the strong water flow, I knew the water would reach the roofs of people's houses. When I arrived, there were families huddled on the roofs, freezing cold. I don't remember how many people I transported, I only know that I worked from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. before returning home to rest. At that time, my mind was always filled with fear, if I didn't arrive on time, people would be in great danger."

Hear the cry for help and run.

Also on the night of November 19, when receiving news about the floodwaters suddenly overflowing into a neighboring village, Mr. Do Ngoc Tang and his wife (living in Phu Huu village, Son Hoa commune) pulled their family's small boat, climbed on a motorbike and rushed straight into the flooded area. "I don't remember exactly which area, I only saw information posted online, people needed help because the water was up to the roof. That night, my wife and I immediately ran there. When we arrived, we saw that the water had risen to the roof, the water was flowing rapidly and garbage was blocking the path. At this time, rescue canoes were waiting outside but could not enter because the road was too small. I don't remember how many people I carried, I only know that I brought many people from the low-water area to where my wife was waiting. From here, my wife used a motorbike to carry these people to higher areas for shelter. We worked continuously from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. ," Mr. Tang recalled.

Mr. Do Ngoc Tang shares his act of rowing a boat into the flooded area to save people.

The next morning, although still tired, Mr. Tang continued to use his personal boat to cross the floodwaters to reach Ngan Dien village, where many households were still trapped. " I didn't get home until 3 p.m. and was almost completely exhausted. In the places I went, no one knew who I was, and I didn't care who they were. When I heard the cry for help, I just saved them, without thinking about anything else," Mr. Tang confided.

Reporter of Cong Thuong Newspaper took a souvenir photo with Mr. Do Ngoc Tang

Witnessing Mr. Tang's actions, Mr. Ly Van Dan (born in 1968, residing in Ngan Dien village), said: "On the morning of November 20, the floodwaters rose so high that the entire village was isolated. By about 9 a.m. the same day, about 5 households were still trapped and could not get out. I saw Mr. Tang using a boat, in conjunction with his brothers in the village, to transport many people to safety. Each boat trip, he carried about 3 to 4 people. I also asked how many people he carried, but Mr. Tang shook his head and replied: I don't remember, I just worked until no one was trapped anymore", Mr. Dan said.

Mr. Ly Van Dan (right) recounts the story of Mr. Do Ngoc Tang rowing a boat to rescue people in a flooded area.

Talking to a reporter from Cong Thuong Newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Duy Tinh - Vice Chairman of Son Hoa Commune People's Committee, said that the whole commune is currently focusing on overcoming the consequences caused by the flood. In addition, the commune is still continuing to count the benefactors, organizations and individuals to synthesize, report, and propose rewards, including cases like Mr. Ho Chi Lien and Mr. Do Ngoc Tang and many other households who also had brave actions to save people during the recent flood.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/dak-lak-nhung-nguoi-hung-trong-bien-nuoc-432149.html