'Hero' Nguyen Ngoc Manh: 'Many people still remember me'

In early November, things begin to get busy as everyone tries to finish their work from the old year to prepare for the new one. Nguyen Ngoc Manh (33 years old, residing in Dong Anh District, Hanoi) is no exception. Known nationwide as a "hero" or "superman" for his bravery and selflessness in saving a 3-year-old girl who fell from the 13th floor of building 60B Nguyen Huy Tuong (Thanh Xuan Trung Ward, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi ), he continues to work diligently. "It's the end of the year, and the demand for delivery services is high, so I have very little time to rest. Sometimes customers call in the middle of the day or late at night, and I still have to accept because they're all regular customers; I can't refuse," Manh said, adding that this is one of the rare lunch breaks he can get.

Mr. Manh recently bought himself a new truck to use for work.

Dinh Huy

In an interview with Thanh Nien newspaper , Mr. Manh recounted that for many years, he has been working as a hired truck driver. Every day, he and a group of drivers park their trucks in the Nam Trung Yen ward (Cau Giay district, Hanoi) waiting for customers, "carrying whatever anyone hires," as long as the load capacity is sufficient. On average, he makes 3-4 trips a day. His work starts around 7 a.m. If a customer books in advance, he will leave earlier. He finishes work around 10-11 p.m., or even early the next morning. By then, his wife and children are already asleep. The time he can dedicate to his family is Saturday and Sunday. During those times, he takes his wife and two children to her parents' house in Chuong My district (Hanoi) or to famous tourist spots in Hanoi for sightseeing.

Recalling the afternoon of February 28, 2021, the image remains vivid in Mr. Mạnh's mind. It was a moment he will never forget when a life was saved. “My greatest happiness is having another family, a brother, a sister, and a daughter. Huyền (the girl who was rescued) is the same age as my eldest daughter; whenever they meet, they cling to each other as if they’ve known each other forever. Since adopting Huyền, I think of my three children in everything I do,” Mr. Mạnh recounted. For his courageous act, Mr. Mạnh received many commendations and valuable gifts. However, he politely declined them all, keeping only a portion to open a shop for his wife. Through hard work, Mr. Mạnh’s income is sufficient to support himself, his wife, and children, cover monthly expenses, and even save some money. Recently, he bought himself a new truck to use for his work. "Many people tell me to try harder so life would be less difficult, but I feel content and satisfied with the job of transporting goods that I have chosen," Mạnh shared.

Since becoming famous, Mạnh has been recognized wherever he goes and whatever he does, creating an invisible pressure called "being known by everyone." He feels constrained, afraid of public opinion, and can no longer be as natural as before. In fact, his fame has caused him trouble in his business dealings on several occasions. "In the beginning, I suffered from mental distress due to the excessive attention. At work, my colleagues even called me 'Mạnh the spaced out' because I was overwhelmed with so much work that I couldn't concentrate. As a result, I gradually lost customers," Mạnh recounted.

For nearly three years, Mr. Mạnh has had to learn to relax, because he is just an ordinary person. Balancing his life and no longer fearing his surroundings, Nguyễn Ngọc Mạnh returned to being a hired truck driver, working during the day and happily spending evenings with his wife and children. It's still the same job, the same family, but whenever he recalls the incident, he sees that he has changed and matured significantly. Mr. Mạnh recounts that about four years ago (before the incident of rescuing the little girl), he was a carefree and indifferent person, unconcerned about what was happening around him. However, after that incident, he realized he needed to change.

The incident occurred around 5 a.m., when he was transporting goods to Ung Hoa District (Hanoi) and unfortunately collided with an elderly man who had fallen asleep at the wheel. As a result, the old man suffered a broken right leg, left arm, and five broken ribs. “At that time, I was very panicked, but it was the victim's family who comforted and encouraged me. After apologizing to the family, I took the old man to the hospital. About 15 days later, he was discharged and is still healthy,” Mạnh said, adding that after the incident, he adopted the old man as his father because everyone was forgiving of his mistake. From then on, Mạnh realized he had to try to help others. When he heard cries for help at the 60B Nguyen Huy Tuong apartment building, he didn't hesitate to risk his life to save a little girl. Mạnh has been praised by the media as a “hero” and a “superman,” even though he himself believes it was something he “had to do” when he saw others in difficulty or in danger of losing their lives.

“I still remember the afternoon the incident happened. I went home, told my family the story, and then went out drinking with friends. I didn't get home until late at night, and unexpectedly, several reporters were still waiting there to interview me, including a reporter from Thanh Nien Newspaper,” Mạnh recalled. The “hero” Nguyen Ngoc Mạnh believes that thanks to the dedication and hard work of the reporters, his story has spread, and his actions have become known to people nationwide. “Recently, while delivering goods to the stadium in Phu Xuyen District (Hanoi), a group of students recognized me and asked to take pictures with me. I am very happy that even though the incident happened a long time ago, many people still remember it. I hope that my story will be spread to contribute to building a better society,” Mạnh continued.

Thanhnien.vn