Man survives 4 days in the ocean

Mr. Tran Van Viet in Dinh Hoa commune, Go Quao district, Kien Giang , survived 4 days after falling off a fishing boat more than 370 km from the mainland, drifting in the middle of the ocean.

In mid-May, Mr. Viet went to sea with the Ngoc Loi fishing boat in Binh Dai district ( Ben Tre ). There were 17 people on board, fishing in the waters of Ben Tre - Kien Giang. On June 1, after two weeks at sea, a crew member was injured by a dragline (used to pull the net) hitting his head, the boat stopped fishing to bring the victim ashore.

Fisherman Tran Van Viet returned to his hometown in Kien Giang and called to thank those who helped him overcome his hardship on the evening of June 7. Photo: Family provided

At around 7pm the same day, the ship was about 200 nautical miles (more than 370 km) from the mainland. At this time, Mr. Viet walked to the back of the ship to take a bath, unfortunately his foot tripped over the crossbar and he fell into the sea. He shouted for help but the engine was so loud, his crewmates were busy arranging their fishing gear after the fishing trip so no one noticed.

"In the middle of the vast ocean, with nothing to hold on to, I tried to swim to places with lights in the hope of being rescued by fishing boats, but I couldn't get there," he said.

At this time, the fisherman with more than 27 years of experience in the profession almost lost hope, thinking he was going to die in the middle of the ocean. However, "the image of his wife and two small children at home appeared in his mind", he struggled to float. His body was pushed by the ocean current, with nothing to eat, hungry and cold. Every now and then, there was a little rain at sea but it was just a few drops, he tried to open his mouth to look up, but only caught a few drops.

"When I was thirsty, I had to drink a few sips of salty seawater," said Mr. Viet. After two days and one night, he was so hungry, exhausted, unconscious, and resigned to his fate. However, his body was not submerged in the water. Occasionally, when he opened his eyes, he still saw his body drifting aimlessly. After four days and three nights, when he was completely unconscious, he was discovered by a Phan Rang crab fishing boat.

Mr. Viet during treatment at Phu Quy district medical center. Photo: Tam Thanh

Captain Le Van Thuan (My Dong ward, Phan Rang - Thap Cham city, Ninh Thuan province) said that the crew on the ship saw Mr. Viet on the afternoon of June 4, about 35 nautical miles (nearly 70 km) southwest of Phu Quy island. At that time, the fisherman in distress was floating face down, his head slightly tilted, drifting freely at sea.

The crew pulled the victim up. They checked and found the man barely breathing, very weak, with many wounds on his back and limbs from fish pecking and biting. "The victim's mouth and tongue were severely ulcerated, his eyes were red and he couldn't open them, and he was groaning," said Mr. Thuan. Everyone washed his face, dried him, and kept him warm, put eye drops in, cooked porridge, and fed him milk.

About an hour later, Mr. Viet regained consciousness and explained the situation. He was then taken by ship to Phu Quy Island and handed over to the Border Guard Station on the island. The Border Guard transferred him to the medical center for care and treatment. People on the island who knew about the incident donated money to help him buy supplies and cover the cost of returning home. Ms. Chau Thi Ngoc Ngan, a resident of the island, went on social media to call for help for the fishermen in distress and received more than 223 million VND after two days.

Ms. Ngan took us to the pier to go from Phu Quy to the mainland. Photo: Tam Thanh

Everyone gave Mr. Viet 11 million VND for his hometown expenses. The remaining amount of money the support group planned to coordinate with the government to build a house to replace the dilapidated thatched roof where Mr. Viet's family was staying. At noon on June 6, Mr. Viet was discharged from the hospital after his health had recovered. Ms. Ngan took him to the boat to the mainland of Phan Thiet, contacted his family and a car to take him back to his hometown. Yesterday morning, he went home to see his wife, children and relatives.

"I never thought I would survive. I don't know how to repay everyone for saving my life," said Mr. Viet, adding that this was the first accident in his career as a fisherman. After this trip, he planned to quit going to sea and find work on shore.

Vietnam

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