Da Nang: A journey to find engagement mementos at sea.

One night while strolling along the beach in front of the East Sea Park, a female tourist's gold ring – a memento from her mother on her engagement day – fell from her finger. After hours of silently searching the Da Nang sands without success, the search took an unexpected turn the following morning when beach management personnel intervened with metal detectors.

The moment I dropped my keepsake on Da Nang beach.

On December 15th, the Management Board of Son Tra Peninsula and Da Nang's tourist beaches announced that its staff had assisted in locating and returning lost property to a tourist on the beach.

Around 9 PM on December 13th, Ms. Tran Thi Ngoc Linh was strolling on the beach in front of Bien Dong Park. While walking, she dropped a 2-tael gold ring, worth approximately 30 million VND. It was not only a valuable possession but also a memento from her mother during her engagement ceremony.

Ms. Linh and her relatives returned to the beach, meticulously searching for hours throughout the night, but they couldn't find the ring. In the vast expanse of the beach, where every meter of sand could be a hiding place for the keepsake, the feelings of anxiety and regret grew stronger.

Around 5:00 AM on December 14th, she decided to go to the operations station of the tourism order management force, belonging to the Da Nang City Tourism Order Management Team (under the Management Board of Son Tra Peninsula and Da Nang tourist beaches), hoping to receive assistance.

The search at dawn on the damp sand.

Upon receiving the information at around 5 a.m., Mr. Ho Thang Tuoi – the team officer on duty at the time – quickly contacted Mr. Phan Thanh Trinh and Mr. Pham Nhu Dong (team members) to assist in the search on the beach where Ms. Linh reported losing her ring.

On the morning of December 14th, in the early daylight, the search began with the help of metal detectors. On the sandy beach where people swim and stroll every day, tracking down a tiny ring was no easy task.

Mr. Trinh said that even though he was on leave, he was there immediately upon receiving the report because he had years of experience searching for metal objects on the beach. Understanding the beach terrain and how to operate the detection equipment is crucial in these kinds of searches.

After nearly an hour of searching, at around 6 a.m., the device signaled at a point on the beach. The gold ring, buried deep under the sand, was found, bringing the search to a relieved end. Immediately afterward, the property was returned to Ms. Linh.

"When we learned that the ring was a memento given by Linh's mother during her engagement ceremony, and that it held great significance for her, we became even more determined to find it.", Mr. Trinh shared.

The moment the ring was returned to its owner's hand not only brought an end to a long night of anxiety, but also transformed the trip to Da Nang into an unforgettable memory: amidst the familiar beach, the tourist received back what was most important thanks to the persistent support of the beach management staff.

Da Nang in the eyes of tourists: safe and friendly.

The incident on the morning of December 14th was not the first time Da Nang's tourism management force had searched for and returned lost property to tourists. Earlier, at the end of July, Mr. Phan Thanh Trinh and Mr. Pham Nhu Dong also assisted an Australian tourist in recovering a diamond ring worth approximately $2,000 that had fallen on a Da Nang beach.

According to Mr. Trinh, over the years, the tourism order management force has helped hundreds of local residents and domestic and international tourists recover lost property. Their persistent efforts in using metal detectors to search the sand and cross-reference information about the time and location of the lost items with the owners have contributed to building Da Nang's image as a safe and friendly tourist destination.

For tourists, receiving attentive support when encountering problems such as lost belongings on the beach is a crucial factor in creating a sense of security. On a journey of discovery, not only the scenery or recreational activities, but also how a destination handles tourist risks leaves a lasting impression.

A few tips for tourists when strolling along Da Nang beach.

From the story of the recovered 2-tael gold ring, we can draw some practical lessons for those who choose Da Nang beach as their destination:

• With valuable possessions and meaningful mementos, it's best to avoid taking them off or holding them in your hands while strolling on the beach, especially in the evening.
• If you find you've lost something, try to remember the time frame and areas you were in. This is important information to help authorities narrow down their search area.
• After searching on your own without success, you should proactively contact the beach tourism management force, just like Ms. Linh did when she went to the operations station for assistance.

These seemingly small details can make a trip more fulfilling. And sometimes, it's those moments of getting lost and then finding it again – like the story of the engagement ring on the beach in front of the East Sea Park – that become the most memorable experiences of a visit to Da Nang.