The "guardians of the sea"

(NLĐO) – The sea rescue team and the order management team are silent forces that contribute to maintaining the brand of safety and civility of Da Nang's tourist beaches.

During the Lunar New Year holiday, the Operations Center of the Son Tra Peninsula Management Board ( Da Nang City Department of Tourism) continued to operate non-stop. After exchanging a few New Year's greetings, the rescue team members at Da Nang's tourist beaches dispersed to their work. At this time, the clock had just struck 4:30 AM.

The presence of the Da Nang beach rescue team brings peace of mind to locals and tourists when swimming in the sea.

The unsung heroes in yellow.

Present at the event, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Vinh, Team Leader of the Rescue Team, instructed the entire team on their work for the beginning of the year, emphasizing that safety must be ensured even during the holidays, otherwise the price will be high, costing both the lives of the victims and the rescuers themselves.

The rescue team currently has only 96 people, divided into 20 groups, whose nhiệm vụ is to guide beachgoers and ensure the safety of residents and beachgoers within their management area, which stretches over 30km along the two coastal roads Hoang Sa - Vo Nguyen Giap - Truong Sa and Nguyen Tat Thanh.

Team leader Nguyen Quoc Vinh (far left) encourages his team members during the Tet holiday work period.

During the Lunar New Year holiday, the team remained on 100% duty, ensuring the safety of locals and tourists swimming at the beach. Although alcohol consumption is unavoidable during the holiday, Team Leader Nguyen Quoc Vinh instructed his colleagues to limit their intake and emphasized the principle of "zero alcohol level while on duty."

"It's not just about the quality of rescue work; lifeguards are also the face of the tourist beach. That's why we've long been very strict about the use of alcohol while on duty," Mr. Vinh further explained.

One of the "sea guardians" of Da Nang, bringing safety and civility to the city's tourist beaches.

This year, Nguyen Tan Tai (a lifeguard) jokingly said he was "celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year) on the beach." With over 15 years in the profession, he can't remember how many times he and his colleagues have saved lives. According to Tai, besides rescue skills, quick reflexes, and excellent swimming abilities, lifeguards must remain calm and composed when approaching victims to ensure their own safety and save the lives of those in need.

"At the same time, lifeguards themselves must be equipped with communication, interpersonal, and tourist guidance skills. This will create a friendly, civilized, and safe image for Da Nang's tourist beaches," Mr. Tai added.

According to incomplete statistics, from 2017 to the present, the Da Nang Sea Rescue Team has safely rescued at least 549 people.

Continuing his remarks, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Vinh affirmed that with the unique nature of their work, being on standby underwater, the first and most important thing is a sense of responsibility and adherence to the unit's regulations; they must never lose focus. "Protecting the safety of citizens and tourists also contributes to enhancing the image of Da Nang as a tourist city," said the rescue team leader.

Joint patrol team to ensure maritime security and order.

Not only is it safe for tourists to swim, but on the beaches, the Management Board of Son Tra Peninsula and Da Nang's tourist beaches has also established a "Sea Security and Order Patrol Team" based on coordination between the Tourism Order Management Team and the Phuoc My Ward Police force.

Tourist Jimmy Thai's joy upon receiving assistance in recovering his lost belongings.

Recently, on January 25th, the patrol team coordinated with other agencies to find a lost phone for tourist Jimmy Thai (26 years old, Canadian nationality). Previously, at 12 PM on January 24th, the Tourism Order Management Team received a report from this tourist about dropping his phone on the sand at My An beach area (Vo Nguyen Giap street, Ngu Hanh Son district).

The incident occurred around 11 a.m. that day. Tourist Jimmy Thai asked some people on the beach to help search, but to no avail, so he returned to his hotel in disappointment. Later, the security team intervened and found the phone buried in the sand, but there was no information about the owner.

Next, the Tourist Order Management Team questioned many beachgoers in the area, and by 3 PM that same day, they received information about Jimmy Thai at a hotel in My An ward. On January 25th, Jimmy Thai came to the team's control station to retrieve his phone, expressing his surprise and joy. "Thank you to the beach staff for helping me find my phone. Everyone here is very dedicated and willing to help, the beach is beautiful, the city is wonderful, I am very grateful to you all," Jimmy Thai said excitedly.³

The tourism management team, in coordination with the local police, arrested a suspect specializing in theft on the beaches, thereby maintaining the safe and civilized image of Da Nang's beach tourism.

Besides assisting tourists in finding lost property, the "Cooperative Patrol Team for Ensuring Sea Security and Order" also collaborates with the police force to patrol and secure the area. On October 23rd, the patrol team ambushed and caught Ho Ngoc Viet (born in 2005, residing in Kim Thach commune, Vinh Linh district, Quang Tri province) red-handed stealing property from a foreign tourist swimming at My Khe beach.

Notably, Ho Ngoc Viet is a "professional" thief with 7 successful thefts on My Khe beach. After handing over the case to the police, all the stolen goods were recovered and returned to the victims. The case was recognized and highly appreciated by the local authorities and the Son Tra District Police for their efforts in ensuring security and order in the area.

Representatives from the Management Board of Son Tra Peninsula and Da Nang's tourist beaches stated that during the Lunar New Year of the Snake 2025, alongside the meticulously prepared beach entertainment and recreational activities to serve tourists visiting Da Nang's beaches, the Management Board will continue to strengthen the deployment of personnel on duty throughout the Tet holiday, implement buoy placement in safe swimming areas, and organize a beach cleaning program in preparation for Tet with the theme "Cleaning Da Nang Beach – Ready for Tet".

In the long term, the Management Board will continue to maintain and develop the operational model of the Sea Rescue Team and the Order Management Team. At the same time, it will propose support measures to improve the living standards and income of team members, helping them stay committed to their profession. This will ensure and maintain the brand of safe and civilized beach tourism in Da Nang.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nhung-nguoi-giu-bien-196250130175643066.htm