For over 20 years as a journalist, Chau and his colleagues have been present at many hotspots of storms and floods in Central Vietnam. Many times, traveling to flooded areas relied entirely on water transport, facing strong currents and unpredictable weather… But this was the first time he encountered such a situation, witnessing the precarious circumstances of reporting on the precarious balance between life and death.
Struggling in the floodwaters
Recalling the past, journalist Nguyen Tan Chau still vividly remembers the occupational accident that occurred many months ago. That day, at noon on October 28, 2025, Chau and Truong Thanh Nhat accompanied a relief team from Duy Nghia commune to deliver aid to the flooded area on the other side of the Truong Giang River. There were eight people on the boat that day, carrying medicine, instant noodles, and other necessities to support people who were isolated.
At that time, central Vietnam was engulfed in storms and heavy rain. The prolonged heavy rains caused floodwaters from upstream to inundate many low-lying areas west of Da Nang .
The canoe was crossing the flooded area. The deeper it went into the flooded zone, the stronger the current became. An accident happened unexpectedly when the canoe struck a hard object at the bottom of the river. The impact was so strong that the vessel swayed and then capsized. Later, it was discovered that it was a concrete boundary marker submerged by the floodwaters. “It all happened very quickly. At first, we were all a little panicked because no one thought an accident would happen in such a large body of water,” Châu recalled.
Journalist Truong Thanh Nhat recounted that after the boat capsized, all eight people remained afloat thanks to their life jackets. However, the strong current quickly swept everyone in different directions. Amidst the vast expanse of water, people continuously called out to each other to locate one another. Fortunately, no one lost contact. “After the initial panic, we regained our composure. We shouted to each other to try to reach and cling tightly to the power poles for safety while waiting for rescue. The rain had stopped by then, but the river was still flowing very strongly. We could only encourage each other to stay calm, conserve our strength, and pray for a miracle,” Nhat said.
"Don't let go!"
"Everyone must hold on tight. Absolutely do not let go!" That phrase was repeated over and over amidst the roaring water. Because if they let go of their grip, the current could sweep them away at any moment.
In the midst of danger, the journalists' professional instincts prevailed. Both Chau and Thanh Nhat held tightly to their cameras and video recorders, which were wrapped in protective bags. "Even though we were panicking, Nhat and I still clung to the cameras and video recorders. Because they were the property of the agency, and they contained many documentary images we had just recorded on the way to the relief effort," Chau recalled.
When the situation calmed down somewhat, Mr. Chau suddenly remembered his phone and asked a colleague to turn it on so he could call for help from the authorities. Fortunately, the phone was still working.
While waiting for rescue forces to arrive, Nhat tried to capture some images of the incident for documentation purposes. That's how it is for journalists; the professional "blood" never dies. Even with the poor image quality of his phone, he still tried to record the scene of his colleagues holding out amidst the floodwaters. "At that time, I couldn't think much. I just tried to encourage each other and wait for someone to come to the rescue," Chau said.
After clinging to the power pole for nearly half an hour, their arms began to go numb from constantly battling the strong current. Meanwhile, a local boat spotted them. Due to the distance and the strong current, it took the boat extra time to reach them and rescue them. The boat approached, and each person was rescued. The moment they were brought safely ashore is still recalled by the team members as a stroke of luck.
Journalist Truong Thanh Nhat recalled that the video cameras and still cameras remained intact despite being submerged in floodwaters for a long time. "The cameras and still cameras were the property of the agency. They contained a lot of documentary footage. Losing them would be a great loss," Nhat shared.
After the floods, Chau and Thanh Nhat returned to the area where the incident occurred the previous year many times. The water was calm, the river no longer as turbulent as before, but the story of that extraordinary assignment remained vivid. In more than two decades of working in the profession, this was the first time both of them had faced such a critical situation. On the brink of life and death, the timely rescue by the local people became an unforgettable part of their memories…
Source: https://baodanang.vn/tac-nghiep-giua-lan-ranh-sinh-tu-3341119.html
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