The team led by Dũng Nguyễn Quân ( Nghệ An ) rescued people in Huế during the floods.

In the middle of the raging water

On the morning of October 29th, as floodwaters began to recede in the center of Hue City, the rescue team led by Dung Nguyen Quan (Nghe An) immediately set off for Dan Dien to assist in the search for a missing young man. Mr. TTH, from Dong Lam commune, Dan Dien district, was on his way home with his father-in-law across a spillway when he was unfortunately swept away by the raging current in the middle of the night on October 28th. Despite the heavy rain, the team's canoe continued its search through the murky water. The wind howled, the raincoats clung to their bodies, but no one stopped.

By noon, the villagers in Dan Dien cooked a pot of hot porridge for the rescue team to eat. Four days had passed, and the team members hadn't had a proper meal. "It's been four days since we've had rice in our stomachs. Thank you so much, everyone!" said Dung Nguyen Quan.

From October 26th, when heavy rains began submerging many low-lying areas in Hue, Dung Nguyen Quan's rescue team immediately set off for Hue, bringing two canoes for rescue operations. He recounted: "The flood situation in Central Vietnam is very complicated. So as soon as we heard the news, we immediately set off, hoping to be there to support the people." Previously, his team had gone to Hue to assist during Typhoon No. 12, but returned when the weather stabilized.

On the night of October 27th, the roads turned into rivers. In the torrential rain, Dũng Nguyễn Quân's team barely slept. With a barrage of distress calls, they fanned out to evacuate the elderly, pregnant women, and children to safety. Throughout the night, the team's two canoes worked almost non-stop; the entire team stayed awake, busily relocating residents to safety as the water level rose.

Diving into the water to save an elderly person in the middle of the night.

After taking a newborn baby to the emergency room and bringing a pregnant woman to safety, at 1 AM, the team continued to assist a heart patient, getting them to the emergency room in time. They also transported a recently deceased person from the hospital to higher ground so their relatives could take them home for burial. That same day, they rescued an elderly couple who were paralyzed and bedridden, just as the water level was only 50cm away from their house. The current was so strong that one team member, preoccupied with saving the elderly, was swept away by the water, but luckily managed to cling to a bush by the roadside.

Warmth of brotherhood

This time, Hue also saw many volunteer teams traveling hundreds of kilometers to brave the floods and participate in rescue efforts, such as the SOS Dau Van Man team ( Ha Tinh ), the SOS Quang Tri volunteer relief team, and the Thai Nguyen relief team… From Ha Tinh, Dau Van Man's SOS team arrived in Hue during the most intense days of the heavy rain and flooding. Throughout the night, they steered their boats through the raging currents, navigating through deeply flooded alleys to bring the elderly, women, and children to safety. The rain continued to fall heavily, the water continued to rise, but the light from their flashlights and life jackets shone brightly in the darkness like a flame of human kindness and courage. In the most difficult times, people found each other through the light of flashlights and hands reaching out into the water.

Rescuing people through the night amidst the raging floodwaters, their clothes soaked, their hands trembling from the cold, but no one thought of stopping. After days immersed in the water, their hands and feet blistered and peeled, yet they silently continued their rescue efforts. "Now I just wish for a good night's sleep," shared Dau Van Man. After a few hours of rest, they resumed their journey, reaching areas where the water was still rising and people were waiting for help.

The rescue teams also felt apologetic because many distress calls could not be answered. Nguyen Quan Dung shared: “It was raining so heavily, the phones got wet, so we couldn't answer all the calls. Waterproof bags didn't help either. Two of our team members' phones are completely broken. Honestly, we wanted to hug everyone, but we only have two boats, which isn't enough to meet the demand, and we're very sad about that!”

The speedboat belonging to Dũng Nguyễn Quân's team was severely damaged while on a rescue mission in Huế.

Besides hunger, cold, and exhaustion, the rescuers also faced danger and vehicle damage amidst the strong currents. The two canoes of Dũng Nguyễn Quân's team repeatedly encountered problems. While rescuing a pregnant woman about to give birth late at night, their canoe struck a marker post and was punctured. The two team members and their canoe were fortunate enough to drift ashore at the foot of a bridge, soaking wet, and they slept right there on the canoe.

The floodwaters will eventually recede, the streets will dry, but the memories of those who came from afar to Hue, braving the rain and floods to rescue people, will live on forever. Ms. Hoang Thi Hien, a resident of Hue, said emotionally: “It’s truly touching to see these men rushing out in the dark of night, disregarding danger to save people. Those images will never fade from our hearts. Thank you to these men – those who come from different parts of the country but always carry the deep sense of brotherhood of the Vietnamese people.”

MINH HIEN

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/chinh-polit-xa-hoi/theo-dong-thoi-su/xuyen-dem-cuu-ho-dong-bao-159341.html