Braving the raging floodwaters to save lives.

When floodwaters rose on the evening of November 19th, the entire village was submerged. Hearing the cries for help from the villagers, Mr. Ho Van Hoa (born in 1978, residing in Hoi Cu village, Tay Hoa commune) and his small boat navigated through the raging currents to reach and rescue many people teetering on the brink of death.

Submerged in floodwaters for a full day and night, Mr. Nguyen Hoan's family, consisting of three adults and one child, were nearly exhausted. “When the water rose rapidly, my family had no choice but to climb onto the rafters and then cling to the roof. The water reached our chins; everyone was cold and hungry, and our phones were submerged, making it impossible to contact anyone outside. All we could do was shout for help. When we heard Hoa's voice from outside, my family was overjoyed,” Mr. Hoan said emotionally.

Mrs. Tran Thi Muong, Mr. Hoan's wife, recalled: "At that time, I felt like I was going to faint. I only remember someone supporting me and telling me to lie still so the boat wouldn't capsize. When I woke up, the villagers rubbed oil on me, massaged my hands, and fed me spoonfuls of porridge."

Mr. Ho Van Hoa (on the right) happily accepts thanks from the family of Mr. Nguyen Hoan and Mrs. Tran Thi Muong.

On November 19th, Mr. Pham Xuan Hue's house, about 1 km from Mr. Hoa's house, was also submerged in water. Upon receiving news from neighbors, Mr. Hoa quickly made his way to rescue them and bring them to higher ground. Mr. Hue said: “My family has eight people in total. The whole family was submerged in water and isolated from the surrounding houses. Luckily, Mr. Hoa rescued us in time, otherwise…”

During the devastating flood, Mr. Hoa saved 17 people in his neighborhood; he himself couldn't have imagined he would be able to do this.

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We met Mr. Tran Van Tuan, Party Secretary and Head of Phu Khanh village (Tay Hoa commune), more than 10 days after the historic flood. He recalled the terrifying moments of the recent devastating flood: torrential rain, muddy floodwaters swirling in all directions, steel fences, rooftops, and treetops barely visible above the water's surface. He and his six-person rescue team boarded a canoe and plunged into the raging current, carrying out orders from their hearts.

Following the instructions of the Chairman of the People's Committee of Le Van Muoi commune, the rescue team prioritized saving the elderly, children, and households in deeply flooded areas. In the rescue team, Tuan and an officer directly jumped into the water, carrying ropes, life jackets, and lifebuoys to reach each house and rescue people.

According to Tuan's account, there were cases where, even though the water was almost reaching the ceiling, people still refused to evacuate. He and his teammates were forced to use coercive measures. For example, Mrs. Huynh Thi Lieu (75 years old, from Phu Khanh village) was trapped under the roof and was exhausted from the cold. The rescue team had to issue an evacuation order in time. After the flood, her daughter met with him to express her gratitude, saying, "If she hadn't listened to the rescue team that day, my mother probably wouldn't have made it."

Mr. Tuan carried a child on his shoulders to safety.

In addition to rescue efforts in Phu Khanh, Tuan's rescue team also moved to Phu My village (in Hoa Thinh commune) - a lower-lying area. There, the rescue team brought 18 people out of danger and coordinated with 5 inflatable boats from volunteer forces from Gia Lai province to evacuate another 30 people.

Amidst the immense losses in the recent historic floods, the image of village Party secretary Tran Van Tuan wading through the water to rescue people serves as a beacon of support, a warm light of compassion, responsibility, and courage.

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Source: https://baodaklak.vn/xa-hoi/202512/vuot-lu-du-de-cuu-nguoi-73d05e3/