Le Van Duoc - a shining example of "Brave Youth"

(Baonghean) -“When I saw my friends struggling in the rushing water, I couldn’t think much, I just knew that I had to save them, otherwise they would be in danger.” At only 15 years old, Le Van Duoc had admirable thoughts and actions, a shining example of courage for everyone to follow...

"Village Hero"

We went to Ngoc Ha hamlet (Thanh Ngoc commune, Thanh Chuong) a day after hearing the news that Le Van Duoc (a 9B grade student at Thanh Ngoc Secondary School) risked his life to save 5 children from drowning. The small, peaceful village was filled with stories about the boy Teo (Duoc's nickname) who was not afraid of danger, facing the deep, rushing river alone to save his friends, with admiration and wonder.

The incident took place on the afternoon of June 17, when a group of five female students were herding buffalo along the Gang River, which flows through Thanh Ngoc Commune. In the late afternoon, the group waded through shallow water to the other side of the river to herd the buffalo back home. After successfully herding the buffalo across the river, the group of female students returned to the shore to look for mussels, but encountered a swamp with strong currents. Unfortunately, Nguyen Thi Uyen Nhi stepped into the deep water and dragged Trinh Thi Hau down with her. In a panic, Hau pulled another friend, and so on, the five students clung to each other in this deep water. They struggled to escape and called for help.

Recalling: “At that time, I was herding buffaloes, seeing my friends wading across the river, I reminded them to be careful, and stood there for a while to see if they could cross the river safely. After that, I led the buffaloes back first, and after walking a distance, I heard my friends screaming for help from the river. All 5 of us were struggling in the rushing water...”. I called out to everyone but no one heard, so without hesitation, I jumped into the water.”

Seeing Nhi and Trang sinking, Duoc quickly used his strength to bring the two children to shore. Because the riverbank was high and steep, Duoc let the two children lean on it and then turned to bring the remaining three children in. When reaching shore, due to drinking too much water, Nhi and Trang showed signs of drowning and difficulty breathing. Seeing that, Duoc was quick-witted and calm, taking turns performing first aid on the two children. The two children quickly regained consciousness and overcame the danger. When asked, "Alone, small, and in deep water, aren't you afraid of being exhausted while saving 5 friends?", Duoc smiled gently: "At that time, seeing my friends being swept away by the water, hearing their screams, their faces filled with panic and fear, I only had time to think, I have to save them without hesitation...".

Nguyen Thi Uyen Nhi (11 years old), who was saved by Le Van Duoc, is still in shock: “The water was over my head, the water was flowing fast and swept me away. Water rushed into my ears, nose, lungs and I had difficulty breathing. At that time, I thought I was going to die... As I was sinking, I felt someone lift me up and pull me to shore... When I woke up, I knew I was still alive, I knew that Mr. Duoc had saved me, I was very grateful...”.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Van, Trinh Thi Hau's mother, emotionally said: "If it weren't for Duoc, the five children would have drowned. The families of the five children are very grateful to Duoc, he is our savior."

Le Van Duoc and 5 friends were rescued.

The story of Le Van Duoc saving 5 friends from drowning was kept secret, because the children were afraid of being scolded for wading across the Gang River, where dozens of people had drowned in the village. It was only when Nguyen Doan Hoang (also herding buffalo in the Gang fence area) saw Duoc and 5 friends returning soaked. Hoang told the story to Nguyen Doan Hung, a security guard at Thanh Ngoc Secondary School. At this time, Mr. Hung went to each house to report to the Party Secretary of the commune, the Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune and the Secretary of the Thanh Ngoc Commune Youth Union.

Upon receiving the information, the commune checked and verified it again, and on the morning of June 19, the Secretary of the Thanh Ngoc Commune Youth Union called to report to the Thanh Chuong District Youth Union. At this time, the brave act of Le Van Duoc in saving 5 friends from drowning was spread and he was honored by the people of Ngoc Ha village as a "village hero".



Thanh Chuong district leaders awarded a certificate of merit to Le Van Duoc.

Before the brave act of Le Van Duoc saving 5 friends from drowning at the same time, according to information from the Provincial Youth Union and the Department of Education and Training of Nghe An, the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union decided to award the "Brave Youth" badge, and the Minister of Education and Training sent a letter of commendation, praise, and encouragement to him.

Nurture love

As the eldest brother in a family of three, Le Van Duoc takes on the job of taking care of his two younger siblings when their parents are busy with farming. In Ngoc Ha village, there are many ponds, and Duoc's house is near the Gang River, so since he was little, his father, Le Van Hai, taught him swimming skills and first aid knowledge in case of drowning. By the time he was in third grade, Duoc had mastered both the prone and supine positions, and he could swim 700m on his stomach. Teaching his son to swim well, in addition to protecting his children, Hai always reminded Duoc that knowing how to swim, knowing how to give first aid, and when seeing someone in distress, one must help... His family, both husband and wife, are farmers, living a difficult life, relying only on rice and potatoes, and not being able to study properly, but he and his wife always taught their children to be good, to be loving, and to help others.

Ms. Le Thi Luong (Duc's mother) said: "Duc is gentle and obedient. As the eldest brother, he was aware of his responsibilities early on. In addition to studying, he looks after his younger siblings, herds buffalo, and helps his mother cut grass. His parents do not have the knowledge to teach him to study well, but they always try to teach him to be a good person, and first of all, to set an example for him..." In Ngoc Ha hamlet, everyone loves the couple's family because of their hard work, gentleness, and kindness...

Thanh Ngoc Secondary School, where Duoc studied, although lacking in facilities, in addition to teaching students cultural knowledge, the school also focuses on educating students in life skills and ethics. Through subjects such as Literature, Civic Education, or through extracurricular activities, storytelling at the flag, students listen to stories about good people and good deeds, compete in storytelling about Uncle Ho; learn about "5 things Uncle Ho taught" and encourage students to follow the 5 things Uncle Ho taught.

The story of Nguyen Van Nam - a 12th grader at Do Luong I High School (Do Luong District) who sacrificed himself to save 5 children in Lam River was told by the school under the flag, encouraging students to learn and follow. "At school and in class, our teachers told us a lot about Nam's story. Nam is a shining example for us to learn and follow," Duoc confided. And the incident of Le Van Duoc will be commended by the school, encouraging students to follow on the upcoming school opening day.

Mr. Le Dinh Tho, Deputy Secretary of Thanh Chuong District Youth Union, said: “Le Van Duoc has just been admitted to the Youth Union since May 19. The brave action of Youth Union member Le Van Duoc will be told to the team members, union members, and youth of the whole district; encourage children to follow his good example. This is also the content that the Youth Union at all levels has launched for a long time, “Nghe An children follow Uncle Ho's 5 teachings”, “Nghe An youth follow Uncle Ho” in the past time...

During the meeting to commend Le Van Duoc's brave act of saving people, the Director of the Department of Education and Training, Mr. Le Van Ngo, was moved: "Duoc's noble act, his brave action, his love and his ability to help others are worthy of commendation. And we are very grateful to his family, the school where he studied, and his hometown for raising and educating him to be a good person, knowing how to bravely sacrifice for others. I hope that his action will be widely replicated and have a strong influence...".

Thanh Phuc