Making a living at the bottom of the river

Among the many trades, diving is considered the last resort for the riverine people of the Mekong Delta. However, in contrast to the bleak living conditions in the deep waters, those who pursue this profession always hope for a brighter future for future generations.

The diver uses simple tools and equipment to help him make a living.

Struggling to make a living

Taking a leisurely sip of his tea, Mr. Tran Van Doi (Ba Doi), a resident of Vinh Hau commune, slowly began to tell the story of his "profession" of river diving. Known to many for his ability to "dive like an otter," Mr. Ba Doi has never felt happy about it. For him, it's a struggle for survival, not something to be proud of.

Mr. Ba Doi said quietly, "People say my job is 'befriending the river god.' And it's true! Down at the bottom of the deep, cold river, there's no one else down there besides the river god. Everything at the bottom of the river is pitch black; those with weak nerves probably couldn't do this arduous job."

With a weathered face, bearing the marks of his past diving days, Mr. Ba Doi gradually recalled his encounters with death at the bottom of the deep river. From the days of "diving without a snorkel," Mr. Ba Doi had repeatedly suffered severe burns from the pressure of the deep river water, forcing him to surface. His hearing loss and the psychological trauma from those encounters with "sea monsters" dozens of meters underwater still lingered in the blurry eyes of this simple old man.

“People hire me to dive to search for belongings or salvage boats and canoes, earning 300,000 - 400,000 VND per trip. When I'm not diving far out, I dive to move fish rafts for hire or salvage scrap metal and steel to sell and earn money to make ends meet. It's strange, but as soon as the water dries up, the money runs out, and I have to grab my equipment and go diving again,” Mr. Ba Doi shared.

Now over 60 years old, Mr. Ba Doi has retired from the profession because he no longer has the health to immerse himself in the deep river. What worries him most are his children who are following in his footsteps. Understanding the hardships of the profession, he tries to persuade his children to find other jobs, even if the income is lower, because they are less dangerous.

As a "colleague" of Mr. Ba Đời, Mr. Trần Văn Hơn, residing in Bình Mỹ commune, has also been involved in the salvage business for nearly 20 years. His group consists of 6 people, specializing in diving for hire for those who need it. Mr. Hơn's clients are from all over, sometimes even traveling to neighboring provinces to salvage boats, canoes, and goods. Typically, there will be 4 divers underwater and 2 people manning the machinery in case of an emergency.

“The most dangerous thing for divers is when the air hose comes loose or gets caught on a tree trunk or something, preventing them from surfacing. In many places, the current is strong, so you have to wear a chain to prevent it from drifting away. But when danger arises, that chain can actually contribute to your harm. On shore, if you're in trouble, there are people to help. But in the deep, dark river, who can you call for help? Pulling the air hose too hard while the person on shore isn't paying attention is also very dangerous. I know it could cost me my life, but I couldn't find any other job that would last long, so I had to return to this low-water profession,” Mr. Hon said honestly.

Warmth of human kindness

Despite facing dangers in their struggle for survival, these divers still harbor warm feelings of humanity. There have been times when what people hired them to retrieve wasn't goods, but the bodies of drowned people. Recalling these events, even veteran divers like Mr. Ba Doi couldn't hide the shock in their eyes.

Mr. Ba Doi shuddered: “Thinking about that incident is terrifying! Standing before the vast, deep river, the thought of the ‘corpses’ floating somewhere gives me goosebumps. Unfortunately, the victims’ families were crying and pleading so much that I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Normally, going into the water is fine, but at that time, my hands and feet were numb, but I had to persevere because of my conscience. Sometimes, the victims were trapped underwater for days, and when I managed to pull them ashore, I almost fainted. Many times, I fell ill and lay at home for days without being able to eat or drink,” Mr. Ba Doi recalled.

However, Mr. Ba Doi reflected that, having worked in the lowly profession, he couldn't leave anything behind for his descendants, so he felt he had to accumulate "good deeds." Furthermore, he believed in seeing the victims alive and finding their bodies in death, and he didn't want the victims' families to suffer that pain for the rest of their lives. Therefore, what gave him the courage to immerse himself in the water was his compassion for others!

Lam Van Ly, a resident of My Hoa Hung commune and a veteran diver, views his work both as a means of livelihood and as a way to help those in distress on the river. "This job sounds strange! If it weren't for the fact that I knew how to dive, I'd keep doing it. Earning a living is one thing, but helping others is even better. Although I don't make a fortune from this job, I treat life with sincerity, and I'm sure the spirits will bless me with safety," Ly said.

Mr. Ly also said that divers are always ready to rescue people trapped in overturned boats on the river. Using their experience, they remain calm enough to approach and guide victims to safety. Although such incidents don't happen often, they represent a humane aspect of this diving profession.

"After each diving trip, I often tell my fellow divers to make sure their children get a proper education so they can find stable jobs on land. Since we've spent our lives diving in the dark depths of the river, we must ensure our children and grandchildren have a brighter, better life," Mr. Ly shared.

Text and photos: THANH TIEN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/muu-sinh-o-day-song-a424726.html