Farmer flies drone to save 2 children in raging water: 'Planes can be bought, people cannot be brought back to life'

On the morning of July 4, one day after a clip of a man using a drone to pull two children out of the floodwaters of the Ba River went viral on social media, talking to us, Mr. Tran Van Nghia - the main character in the video that moved millions of people - said softly: "Is this the same story as yesterday?"

“I took the risk, but if I don't do it, who will?”

The story “yesterday” that he mentioned, is actually not just his own story. It is a story that the whole social network is discussing and sharing with a rare admiration – an act of saving a person in a raging river, using a modern device that is only used for agriculture .

Mr. Nghia said that at noon on July 3, the sun was blazing hot. He was operating a drone to spray pesticides on a sweet potato field near Ben Mong Bridge, Ia Tul Commune, when he suddenly heard a desperate cry for help from the Ba River. At first, he thought someone had a traffic accident.

He quickly turned off the engine and ran towards the sound. The scene that appeared stunned him: Three children, aged only 10 to 13, were stranded on a sandbank in the middle of the Ba River.

About 50 meters from the shore, that place now looks like a small oasis, surrounded by the sound of rushing water. It is unclear whether the water is coming from upstream or from the dam release, but it is red and rising almost by the minute.

“In the morning, the water was still low, so the children herding the cows could walk back and forth freely. The cows have reached the shore safely, but the children were stuck in the middle of the river. I don’t know where the water came from, but it rose so quickly. In just 5-10 minutes, the land began to be deeply flooded ,” Mr. Nghia recalled.

Two men tried to swim out, but had to turn back after a few meters – the water was strong, and in some places it was 5 meters deep. Another man, cleverly running upstream, let himself go with the current, and was lucky to reach the three children.

At this point, everyone stood still. No one knew what to do next. The sandbar would be submerged in minutes. All eyes were on the man who had just approached the children.

And then, amidst that tension, Mr. Nghia stepped forward and opened the suitcase containing the drone – his family's greatest asset.

Mr. Tran Van Nghia and his family's agricultural drone, worth hundreds of millions.

“ The maximum load is 50 kg. There are three children, all of them are grown up. If I pull an adult or two children, it might work. But I’m not sure. There are people around to stop me. They are afraid that I will lose the machine – lose all my property. But at that time, I just thought: if I don’t do it, the flood will sweep everything away.” – he said.

The drone was attached to a strong tether, hovering over the water. Each gust of wind from the propellers beat down on the angry flood, as if fighting against the harsh laws of nature.

The man on the sandbank tied ropes around each child. A girl was pulled in first. Then a second boy. Each round only lasted a few minutes but the tension was suffocating. By the time of the third child, luckily, the family boat arrived in time, bringing both the child and the man back to shore.

At that time, Mr. Nghia's hands were still shaking. " My heart was beating very fast, not because I was afraid of losing the machine, but because I was afraid of not being able to do it in time. I was afraid that the children would be exhausted, I was afraid of strong winds, I was afraid that the drone would lose control in the middle of the stream..." – he said, his voice trembling as if he was still controlling the steering wheel.

Two children were saved by Mr. Tran Van Nghia.

When asked, Mr. Nghia said he only had time to ask someone next to him to film a clip to... "make a record", to prevent any unexpected events from happening. " I didn't think it would spread like that. I don't want to be famous. I didn't advertise anything. I just know that if I hadn't done it at that time, people might have held a funeral for the kids today..." .

Compliments flooded social media. But there was also skepticism: thinking this was a drone advertising gimmick. He smiled lightly: “ I don’t care. Saving people is the most important thing. Planes can be bought back. People cannot be brought back to life.”

The drone – once a tool for making a living, has now become a symbol of the courage and kind heart of farmers in the vast Gia Lai forest.

The clip recording the scene of Mr. Tran Van Nghia piloting a drone to save people in the flood is still being shared rapidly on social networks, as a touching proof that kindness still shines in everyday life.

Proposal to reward good deeds

On the morning of July 4, Mr. Pham Van Duc, Chairman of Ia Tul Commune (Gia Lai Province) said that the local government has completed the information and procedures to propose to the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee to promptly reward the noble act of saving people of Mr. Tran Van Nghia. This is the character in the video that has been widely spread on social networks, in which Mr. Nghia used a drone to save two children stuck in the flood in Gia Lai.

“ We propose that the Provincial People’s Committee give an extraordinary reward for Mr. Nghia’s brave action in saving the two children. This is a brave, creative, and timely action. A very admirable example, ” said Mr. Duc.

The Chairman of the People's Committee of Ia Tul commune added that the two rescued children were Kpa H' Niem (born December 9, 2012) and Kpa Dai (July 16, 2012), both residing in Bon Ju Village (Ia Broăi).

Mr. Tran Van Nghia, the person who used a drone to save two children from floodwaters on the Ba River.

Mr. Tran Hoang Hieu (25 years old), who worked with Mr. Nghia, was also the one who recorded the video of Mr. Nghia using a drone specialized in spraying pesticides and fertilizers to save the two children. Mr. Hieu said he was very worried and nervous and tried to stop him, but Mr. Nghia insisted on saving people in the floodwaters with a drone.

" The drone worth more than 300 million VND could fall into the water at any time while transporting the two children across the river. Property is not as important as the danger to the lives of the children." Mr. Hieu expressed.

" While Mr. Nghia was saving people, I could only record video of the two rescues, so that if anything happens, we would have something to use as evidence later. From where we live in Chu Se commune to where we work in Ia Tul commune is about 60km, so I don't know which school the children attend! But last night we received a call of thanks from the children's families."

Source: https://baolangson.vn/nong-dan-lai-drone-cuu-2-em-nho-giua-dong-nuoc-xiet-may-bay-co-the-mua-nguoi-khong-the-song-lai-5052212.html