Search skills are crucial for survival.
At around 7:00 AM on May 8th, Mr. Trieu Chan Ta left his home in Hamlet 1, Viet Tan 2 Village, Bac Quang Commune to go into the forest to find *Thien Nien Kien* (a type of medicinal herb) to sell to traders. For people in mountainous areas, gathering medicinal herbs in the forest is a familiar way to supplement their income. And Mr. Ta himself had been to this forest area many times before.
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| The search team took turns carrying Mr. Ta over 2km of mountain trail to get him home. |
When he left, Mr. Ta took a mobile phone, a dog, and some tools commonly used by locals for forest work, such as a knife and a machete. Since he only planned to stay in the forest for one day, he didn't bring much food. However, by evening, he hadn't returned. Repeated calls went unanswered, causing his family to panic and fear something bad had happened, prompting them to report the matter to the local authorities and the commune police. That same night, the commune police, militia, members of the Viet Tan 2 village security team, and local residents immediately split into several groups to search the protected forest area in sub-area 285 – where Mr. Ta usually went to gather medicinal herbs.
Speaking to reporters, the head of the Bac Quang commune police, Hoang Van Chuyen, said: "After receiving a report from Mrs. Phan Mui Mui (Mr. Ta's wife), we promptly deployed professional measures in coordination with other forces to organize a search. However, the search area is extremely rugged, with dense primary forest, many deep ravines, and continuous heavy rain, making the search very difficult. The search involved walking on slippery trails, often resulting in falls, while simultaneously searching for traces and constantly calling out loudly so that the missing person, if still conscious, could hear. Heavy rain quickly erased footprints, making the search even more challenging. Many search teams had to rely on very small clues such as broken branches, marks on tree trunks and rocks, footprints still imprinted on wet ground, or the tracks of the dog that accompanied Mr. Ta to follow his movements."
A glimmer of hope emerged after three days of fruitless searching on the morning of May 11th when residents of Thanh Binh village discovered footage from a family camera showing a man walking through the residential area. Trieu Sanh Tong (Mr. Ta's son) personally viewed the video and confirmed it was his father. “At that point, we confirmed that Mr. Ta was simply lost and nothing unfortunate had happened to him,” added Hoang Van Chuyen, Chief of Police of Bac Quang Commune.
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| The search team took turns carrying Mr. Ta over 2 kilometers of mountain trail to get him home. Text and photos: Van Long |
Immediately, the commune leaders directed the search teams to expand the search to the Nặm Ma forest area. According to Mr. Tòng, the search team followed the dog's footprints for about 1km, but the tracks disappeared due to heavy rain. "At that time, everyone was practically just walking and hoping. The team had to split up and search every area, every deep ravine, constantly calling out the name of the missing person," recounted Mr. Phàn Giào Khuôn, a member of the search team.
At approximately 4:40 PM on May 11th, after many hours trekking through the forest, authorities found Mr. Ta resting at Vang Khoeo waterfall, Tan Tien village, Nam Ma mountain area, about 3km from his house, in a state of exhaustion. "When he saw us arrive, my father collapsed from exhaustion," said Trieu Sanh Tong, his voice choked with emotion.
Human kindness warms the heart amidst the cold, rainy wilderness.
What moved many people about the incident was not only the safe discovery of the missing person, but also the spirit of mutual support among the people of the Bắc Quang highlands. For days, hundreds of local people volunteered to assist the authorities in the deep forest during rainy, windy, and foggy weather. Some abandoned their farming work, while others stayed up all night to search alongside the search team. Many groups brought packed lunches, water, and raincoats, setting up temporary shelters in the forest to continue their search the next morning. Despite the cold rain, fog, and slippery terrain, everyone persevered in the forest, hoping to find and bring Mr. Tá back safely.
Pham Van Tuyen, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Bac Quang commune, said: "Despite the very bad weather, many people still voluntarily participated from early morning until late at night. Some people didn't know the victim's family but still actively helped because of the belief in the highlands that when someone is in trouble, the whole community should join hands to help."
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| The search team's joy upon finding Mr. Ta. |
Throughout the four days of the search, the People's Committee of Bac Quang commune mobilized more than 1,100 people, with approximately 300 people searching in the forest each day. The commune organized eight search teams and mobilized necessary vehicles, equipment, and food supplies.
Mr. Ta was found in a forest area more than 3km from his home. The moment they found him, the search team members were overjoyed and relieved. After many days with almost no food, his health had deteriorated, and he was unable to walk on his own. They had to take turns carrying him over 2km of slippery mountain path to safely bring him down to the foot of the mountain. Although he was a frequent forest dweller, due to the rain and thick fog, Mr. Ta lost his bearings and was unable to leave the forest to return home. When found, he only had minor scratches on his legs and arms from forest trees, and several bites from leeches and mosquitoes. All his belongings were gone, except for his dog, which had been with him.
Currently, Mr. Ta has returned safely to his family, much to the immense joy of his relatives and neighbors. His health and spirits are gradually recovering and stabilizing after receiving care. The Party Committee and the government of Bac Quang commune promptly arrived to encourage and inquire about Mr. Ta's health. The search for Mr. Trieu Chan Ta has concluded with a happy and fortunate ending. The rain and cold did not discourage the forces and their solidarity. But more than that, the story leaves a beautiful image of the spirit and responsibility of "Serving the People" of the local Party Committee, government, and functional forces, and shines a light on the humanity of the highlands - where hundreds of people were willing to overcome danger with the sole desire to bring one citizen home safely.
Text and photos: Van Long
Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/xa-hoi/202605/tinh-nguoi-am-ap-giua-dai-ngan-60971a1/
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